A New Beginning
by Mr History 94
Summary: This fan-based story is a prequel to A New Generation, taking place after the Fourth Shinobi World War. Join as Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee and others deal with the aftermath of the war and develop new relationships that leads to them starting their own families. NaruSaku, SasuIno, KibaHina, ShikaTema, LeeTen and more. (Rated M for heavy sexual and mature content)
1. The Suffering Ends

**Author's note: This will be a prequel to A New Generation. It will tell us what happened in the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi World War. It will also tell us about how Naruto and his friends began these relationships, which eventually resulted in marriages and families. This chapter will start right after the war, and what has happened. And note, this is my first time writing a romantic story, so please excuse me if I am not professional or anything.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Suffering Ends**

 _2 and a half years after the war, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Land of Fire_

2 and a half years had passed since the Fourth Shinobi World War had ended. It was a terrible international conflict that had affected the whole world, not just that of the shinobis. The Five Great Elemental Nations had set aside their personal grudges and concentrated on their common enemy: the Akatsuki as well as it's mastermind: Madara Uchiha.

The once legendary leader of the Uchiha clan had long desired to recreate the world was it used to be. By this, he had manipulated his underlings and done the unthinkable by possessing the power of Kaguya Otsutsuki, the Mother of All Shinobis. With the primordial power at his command, Madara sought to unleash his terror upon his enemies, as well as bringing them paradise in his own twisted ways. Luckily for the Allied Nations, many valiant shinobis had put up a great fight and in the end, managed to overcome the horrors of the powers Madara had unleashed upon the world.

With the world war now over, peace had finally settled around all corners of the world, yet there remained deep wounds that needed to be healed. The first thing that needed to be addressed was to honor all the valiant shinobis that had sacrificed their lives for the sake of their villages. The Village Hidden in the Leaves was no different. Many lives had perished and tears were shed at the day of mourning.

But two and a half years into the future, a new era dawned in the world of the shinobis. While there no longer existed terrorists like the Akatsuki, crime and corruption had returned to the shinobi world. Therefore, it was only natural that the services of shinobis were needed once again.

Inside the apartment of Naruto Uzumaki, things had gotten dark. But that was because he had been asleep and was finally awake. Being just dressed in a white t-shirt and black pants, the young man went outside the balcony to gaze out at the Leaf Village before him. The young blonde-haired man smiled by what he was seeing.

"Heh, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I always want to have this view before me" Naruto noted in his head as he felt the wind blow in his face.

Naruto had changed since the war. Even though he was still the same easygoing goofball, he had grown more mature and calm when it came to serious matters. Naruto had many honorary titles, from War Hero to Hero of the Leaf and even Orange Flash (similar to Yellow Flash with his late father). While he greatly appreciated what the people of the Leaf thought of him, he kind of felt that the titles struck as little embarrassing. In fact, there had been many women at his age who had asked to go out with him, but he had politely turned them down. But in the aftermath of the war, Naruto had frequently been seeing Sakura and the two had gone out on a couple of dates in the past. However, their new responsibilities led them to go out on fewer dates, as they were mostly focused on their new roles.

Since the end of the war, Naruto was now a jounin. In fact, he had now become one of Tsunade's closest associates. A reason for that was because she wanted Naruto to have enough experience in administration. Those who sought to achieve the mantle of Hokage would at least require experience with leadership, as well as coordinating. True, he wanted to become as coordinated as Tsunade while at the same time having his own form of charisma in leadership.

"So, you're finally awake" Naruto snapped as he could see his teacher Kakashi Hatake stand on the counter facing him smugly. The white-haired man with the mask simply waved at him in a friendly gesture. "Good morning to you, by the way" he then told him.

Naruto took a deep breath and calmed himself before dropping a sweat at Kakashi. "Man, you really startled me there, Kakashi-sensei. Seriously, can't you just use the door?" he then asked him while wiping off the sweat on his face.

Kakashi simply shrugged it off and stood beside his student, who had grown quite taller since last time, almost reaching to his size. Together, they stared out towards the cityscape before them. The masked man then glanced over at his student.

"Do you still think about the war?" Kakashi then asked Naruto.

The blonde-haired man closed his eyes to think for a brief moment. "Yeah, I do that sometimes. But what was the past stays in the past. There is a whole new path lying right before me and I intend to walk that path" Naruto told his teacher, who mused to himself in return.

"Heh, spoken like a true optimist. I like that" Kakashi said to his student.

"Hey sensei, can I ask you something?" Naruto then asked Kakashi, who nodded his head as a yes. "You were offered the position of Hokage right after the war. Why didn't you take it?" he then asked him.

Kakashi began to close his eyes for some reason, his mind drifting past to the horrors of the world war. For some reason, he felt a hint of sadness build within him and Naruto could see that. "There was a time when I felt like I was ready to assume the responsibilities of a Hokage. But something changed along the way" the masked man told Kakashi before facing Naruto in his eyes. "Do you remember what Obito said to us…..back there?" he then asked his student lowly.

Naruto's blue eyes widened in realization, as he knew what Kakashi was getting at. During the world war, the true identity of the mysterious Akatsuki-member called Tobi was revealed. It was revealed to be Kakashi's former teammate and childhood friend: Obito Uchiha. Long had Kakashi and his friends believe that Obito had died during the previous world war. But they were wrong. Madara had somehow saved Obito from death and poisoned his mind with hatred and despair.

"Obito had many goals, yet he never got what he wished" Kakashi suddenly spoke up in a low voice. "But despite all the hatred he possessed, he did one final thing that meant so much for us shinobis. He sacrificed himself. Also, he then told us all who he felt was the right man to be Hokage: the one who had shown him to light of the fire. And that….is you, Naruto" the masked man then added to his explanation.

"Are there other reasons for why you rejected the title?" Naruto then asked his teacher once again.

Kakashi slowly nodded his head in return. "As a matter of fact, there is" the white-haired man admitted while facing the blue skies. "I really don't wanna sound so distant, Naruto. But I have grown weary about the Leaf Village" he then admitted to his student.

Naruto glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, indicating that he did not quite understand what he was trying to say. "What are you saying?" he then asked Kakashi.

"I will always consider the Leaf Village my home. But sometimes, I feel like I just wanna take off this jounin vest and go live on my own. Think of it as a retirement" Kakashi then tried to explain before facing Naruto, who stood and listened carefully. "Somehow, I think I understand why Jiraiya never wanted the title of Hokage, but instead left it to your father, who was also my teacher. Now, I am doing the same thing. The Leaf Village doesn't require someone from the old generation to move on. They need someone who has seen everything, someone who really carries the Will of Fire inside of himself. And that is why…not just me but also Tsunade and the others, are entrusting the mantle of Hokage to you…..when the time comes" the masked man then told Naruto.

Naruto was at first stunned to hear this coming from his teacher, but he quickly changed that expression into a smile and nodded at him in return. "Yeah, I get it. I still have a long way to walk, though. I wanna be good in administration like you and Grandma Tsunade. But in time, I will be ready" the blonde-haired man remarked with a cheeky grin.

The masked man nodded his head in return, knowing that Naruto was always someone who could be counting on. "Have you thought about Sasuke lately?" Kakashi then asked Naruto, much to his own surprise. The masked man faced his students. "I know, he was pardoned for all his previous actions, but he has been through a long hospitalization. In fact, he has been released today" he then said to him.

"He has, where is he know?" the blonde-haired man then asked his sensei, his expression filled with anticipation.

"He's at the Hokage's Tower as we speak. There's a trial currently taking place over there as we speak. I came here to inform you about it so….." Kakashi stopped talking, as he could see his student rushing inside to get dressed.

"Aw man! I probably overslept!" Naruto said while sounding so stressed out. "Sasuke's probably gonna need all the backup he needs with me at his side" Naruto then said while struggling to put on some pants.

Kakashi decided to inform his student about something, so he entered the apartment, facing Naruto with a stern expression on his face. Naruto took notice of this and wondered why he did that, only for the blonde-haired man to realize what Kakashi was getting at.

"Remember Naruto, this is Sasuke's opportunity to speak for himself in front of the most powerful political organs of the Leaf Village. They all want to hear from him personally" the masked man then told his blonde-haired student, who listened closely. "Whether he gets sentences to prison or the opposite, I don't know. But remember, let Sasuke be the one to defend himself and speak up his mind. Don't do that for him. You and I have both done enough with our plea to Lady Tsunade and the Leaf Council" the white-haired man added to his explanation.

Naruto could not help but to form a raised eyebrow in return. "Just what are you talking about. I never said anything about wanting to defend him in a trial" he said before forming a cheeky grin once again. "No, by backing him, I mean being present when Sasuke lays out his own testimony to Grandma Tsunade and the rest of us. Even though Sasuke remains somewhat cold, I know that there exists a tint of regret inside his soul. I'm gonna be there and support him as best I can, but not by speaking out or anything. I will only be giving him my moral support" Naruto said before quickly running towards the door, thus exiting his apartment.

Kakashi mused to himself as he watched his student being in a rush. He also had to admit he was quite impressed with Naruto's words. "You really have changed from the first time I ever saw you, Naruto" he noted in his head while watching Naruto getting stressed.

Running through the streets of the Leaf Village, Naruto was dressed in a black and orange sweater while wearing black pants. His messy blonde hair had gotten shorter and it was a haircut that he himself liked. While not as big as his pervious hairstyle, it still matches his personality. He also wore a black forehead-protector with the symbol of the Leaf Village written upon it.

Naruto was really in a rush and he felt kind of irritated as he ran through the bustling crowds. "Damn it! Why wasn't I informed about Sasuke being released from the hospital today!? I mean, was Sakura notified about this!?" he wondered angrily in his head while running. "Anyway, I better hurry! The trial is about to start soon! And I best do as I promised to Sakura and Kakashi-sensei: let Sasuke to do the talking, not me" he added, but suddenly stopped as he saw something blocking his way. It was a crowd of many young women standing there and gossiping about all kinds of stuff. But as the girls saw Naruto stand before them, his eyes snapped. "Awww crap!" he cursed in his head.

"Look! It's Naruto!" one of the women exclaimed with beaming eyes. "I just love him!" she then added.

"OMG! HE'S SO HANDSOME!" another woman shouted. "CAN I TAKE A SELFIE WITH YOU, NARUTO!?" she then added to her statement.

Some of the women even held out roses at him and it was not long before they came it him like herd of sheep. Naruto realized that he was about to get flooded with women asking him out so he quickly made a hand seals.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he exclaimed and thousands of shadow clones appeared in the street, thus confusing the many girls. They began to search through them to find the real Naruto. But as soon as a shadow clone was grabbed, they puffed.

What the girls did not know was that Naruto had run into an alleyway and then jumped up to the nearest rooftop, thus staying far away from the girls' sight. Naruto took a deep breath and sat on a horizontal pipe he came across. He was safe, at least for now.

"Man, that was close. I let my stress control my motions that I forgot about those crowds of fangirls" Naruto said before chuckling to himself. "Well, I guess being famous has it's negative sides, not just the opposite" he then added to his statement.

The blonde-haired man then fixed his eyes upon the Hokage Tower, which was the upgrade to the previous residence of the Hokage. It had now become an imposing building in the entire village, standing right underneath the Hokage Monument. Naruto knew that he would one day be spending most of his time inside that building as a Hokage.

But right now, Naruto was thinking about Sasuke and what had transpired between those two during and after the war. They had fought one another, when Sasuke had a desire to revolutionize the shinobi world by getting rid of all the Five Kages. But a deadly fight between them in the Valley of the End had resulted in none of them being the winner, even though Sasuke had somehow given Naruto the victory. Both of them had been hospitalized, but Naruto was released earlier. But with Sasuke, it was different.

While the world was willing to rebuild what was destroyed during the war, many people were expressing distaste for Sasuke not being punished for the crimes he had committed during his brief membership in the Akatsuki. But the Five Kages, knowing that Sasuke had played a key role in ending Madara's schemes decided to pardon him for his past crimes. The Five Kages claimed that sacrificing more innocent shinobi lives would not bring peace to anyone. At the same time, they insisted that even Sasuke himself had regretted his actions.

"Sasuke…" Naruto uttered out the name of his best friend lowly. "I know that you want to make up for your crimes, even though you still have some level of bitterness towards the Leaf Village's leadership" he then noted.

Because of the pardoning of his past crimes, Sasuke was spared from prosecution from the other hidden villages. However, he was under tight supervision by the ANBU Black Ops. In that way, it was almost as if he was in prison. Only a few people were allowed to see him. Among them were, Naruto off course. Although Sasuke had spoken little to him during his visits, Naruto had encouraged him to start reconcile with everything around him. To his surprise, Sasuke had agreed with him and had started that by apologizing to Sakura for his past actions on her. Sakura, knowing that Sasuke was willing to start a new path, accepted it. He then went on to say that he was not worthy of being in love with her and encouraged Sakura to find out what her heart truly wanted. This had been the start of Sasuke's reconciling.

"Whatever happens to you now whether you're free or put in prison, I will always be backing you! That's my way of the shinobi!" Naruto said and jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

* * *

 _Inside a hall in the Hokage Tower_

While Sasuke had been pardoned for his past crimes, Tsunade and her associates were still not willing to let him go freely yet. First, they had to determine whether he was qualified for such. This resulted in the leadership of the Leaf Village having their own trial to decide Sasuke's fate. Inside the hall where the Hokage would usually meet the jounins, tensions were high.

Many representatives of the Leaf Village's leadership, clans and military were present to witness the fate of the currently last surviving member of the Uchiha clan. The one presiding over the case was the Leaf Council. Tsunade and the two veteran councilmembers: Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utakane, were the three judges overseeing this case. Unlike Tsunade, Homura and Koharu were more hawkish with regard to keeping the Leaf Village safe from harm. Even as they had grown elderly, they still refused to retire and spend the rest of their lives in serenity. But at the same time, the war had changed the two councilmembers, as they seemed to have full respect in Naruto. But when it came to Sasuke, it was different. The two had in the past supported the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Even now, they believed that Sasuke was a potential risk to let loose in the world.

In addition to that, a group of jurors had also been picked and they sat on the sidelines in watching the case. The Leaf Council made sure to pick jurors who had no close or personal relationship with Sasuke. Therefore, they had decided to pick clansmen from the various clans of the village. And of course, none of the clan heads could serve as a juror in this case. Sitting in the jury box was Suzaku Nara representing the Nara clan, Santa Yamanaka representing the Yamanaka clan, Makaro Akimichi representing the Akimichi clan, Ko Hyuuga representing the Hyuuga clan, Muta Aburame representing the Aburame clan and Hana Inuzuka representing the Inuzuka clan. These shinobis had been chosen to act as the jury in this case.

The constant talking between the observes soon ended when the judges, jurors and the eventually all the watchers rose up from their seats. A moment of silence was held before Tsunade fixed her eyes upon the door.

"Bring in the accused" Tsunade gave the order and the doors opened and in came the man that everyone had hoped to get a glimpse at.

Sasuke Uchiha was brought in the hall, his hands tied by handcuffs. The handcuffs were made out of iron and it seemed impossible for Sasuke to break them lose. But he never did a thing to break free. The raven-haired man was dressed in a black cape as well as sandals. His hair had grown down to his shoulders and a bang ran down to his nose. For some reason, he was beginning to resemble Itachi. The two shinobis accompanying him to the middle were two members of the Interrogation Squad: Tonbo Tobikate and Shimon Hijiri. They held him by his arms as they led Sasuke the way.

As Sasuke was brought in the middle of the room, whisperings amongst the crowd began and they revolved mainly around the atrocities Sasuke had committed in the past.

So far, Sasuke had only faced the floor, not even bothering looking around in the halls. Instead, he slowly lifted his head up to face the judges sitting on their seats, accompanied by their associates. Among them were Shizune and Shikamaru Nara and Sai who were close assistants to the Hokage. As the raven-haired man faced them, his peers could see nothing but emptiness in his black eyes. But on the other hand, some of those who knew him could see that something was not quite right with Sasuke. Sakura Haruno was among the watchers. She alongside, Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akimichi, Rock Lee, and many other friends were sitting on the front-row seats, thus giving them all a perfect view of what was happening. Clan heads and jounins were also sitting on those seats, watching the raven-haired man with different expressions on their faces. However, the majority of them were filled with displeasure.

Tsunade soon made gestures with her hand, indicating that the case would now open. "Let us all take our seats" Tsunade said and all the participants and watchers of this case took their seats. The blonde-haired woman then fixed her stern glance upon the raven-haired man. "Sasuke Uchiha, you stand before your peers of the Leaf Village today as we will determine your fate. Your true verdict will be decided by us" the Hokage spoke up strictly, never as much as smiling at the raven-haired man.

"Even though we pardoned you for your previous crimes, it was all for the sake of avoiding future conflicts with the other hidden villages" Homura spoke up, his elderly voice ringing bells in the hall. "Therefore, we have decided that instead of facing judgement by the world, you will face judgement by the citizens of the Leaf. That is why you are standing here before us all" the elderly man with glasses added to his explanation.

Koharu cleared her throat before speaking. "We along with the jury will decide whether you are a high-risk threat to be let outside or not. Execution is exclusively ruled out as a punishment" the elderly woman spoke up.

There were gasps among the observes and may began voicing their discontent with what the judges were saying. Only the jurors seemed to be calm, as none of them had any sort of reaction to the declaration. However, many was not pleased by hearing this.

"This is absurd! Why rule out execution!?" Hiashi Hyuuga, the Head of the Hyuuga Clan, loudly demanded as he rose up from his seat.

"I must agree with what he says!" Ibiki Morino of the Interrogation Squad said as he rose up from his seat. "Judges, reconsider this at once. If we let him walk out freely he will just turn against us once again!" the serious man added to his statement.

At the bench, Homura slammed the hammer on his table, trying to silence the crowds. "Order! Order! ORDER!" he demanded loudly, and the talking stopped as soon as Homura raised his voice. That was surprising, considering his age. The elderly man adjusted his glasses before speaking. "There will be no more executions. Must we remind you about one of the agreements the Land of Fire signed with the other Five Great Elemental Nations? Part of the Hashirama-agreement tell us to not waste more shinobi lives with the death penalty" the elderly man spoke up.

"All the Five Great Hidden Villages agreed to this as well. Going back on an international agreement would only damage our village's reputation further" Tsunade spoke up, while making sure she faced Sasuke in the middle. "Execution is no longer the answer, imprisonment for life is the only option available. That is what the Five Kages have agreed upon" she added to her statement.

"It is time to move on to the next phase" Koharu said and then fixed her gaze upon Sasuke, who merely glanced at her back with his empty eyes. "Sasuke Uchiha, before we continue, how do you plead to all the offenses you have committed in the past?" she then asked him sternly.

Feeling obliged to answer, Sasuke opened his mouth. "Guilty" he said the word, with no emotion in his voice.

"Hmmm…..I see. You still acknowledge your actions even after the pardoning" Koharu noted sternly.

"Do you regret them?" Homura asked while glancing at him strictly. "Do you regret all the pain and suffering you have caused?" he asked once again.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them up again and facing the judges. "Yes" he said, even starting to slowly grit his teeth in anger.

"As the Hokage, I would now like for you to tell us what you think should happen to you. Is there any form of judgement you would like for use to give you?" Tsunade then said, her eyes never leaving Sasuke.

The raven-haired man realized that he could no longer hold back his thoughts and words. He simply nodded at the judges and they understood what he meant. This was his chance to tell them everything he knew about the Leaf Village, including the most sensitive parts. Sasuke faced the judges with his stern eyes, his mouth still frowning deeply.

"I regret my actions on those who are innocent" Sasuke then spoke up as honest as he could. His eyes began narrowing further. "However, if there is one thing I do not regret…..it is challenging and killing Danzo Shimura" he then said, much to the stunning of the spectators as well as the jurors and judges. He then fixed his eyes on both Homura and Koharu, who were also stunned at his statement. "You think you are wise, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utakana. But despite the years of experience in the world of politics, you fail to hide the blood on your hands" the raven-haired man then said, his eyes never leaving the two people.

Neither Homura and Koharu seemed slightly confused at this. "And what do you mean by that, young one?" Koharu asked him, her voice filled with suspicion. "Honestly, I see no merit in bringing up Danzo Shimura in this case, considering the fact you murdered him" she then added to her statement.

Sasuke slowly began gritting his teeth in anger, although he did his best not to show his anger out in the open. He remained calm on the outside as possible. "You think my own eyes are blind? Or that my own ears are deaf? Fools, I know about your conspiring with Root and their demented leader" he then said, thus surprising some in the hall. "During the war, I spoke with your late "teammate". He was more than kind enough to reveal me everything. That includes how the Uchiha Clan Massacre really happened and who supported Danzo's actions. And of course, the late Third Hokage was vehemently against it….but you two on the other hand….." he then said, a smirk slightly being formed on his mouth.

Homura slammed his hammer on the table. "I think we have heard enough from you! Let us move on to the…" the elderly man snapped as he could see a hand being reached before him. That hand belonged to Tsunade, who was doing this to make him stop. The blonde-haired woman glanced at him sternly. "What now, Tsunade?" Homura asked sternly.

"Let us hear him speak, we all know of his atrocities in the past. Maybe it would be wise for you and her to listen to your own atrocities in the past" the Hokage sternly told them.

Both elderly people did not seem to welcome her statement, especially Homura. "As I have already told everyone of you standing in this hall, we did what was necessary for the Leaf Village at that time. Hiruzen's pacifistic and pragmatic stance enabled Danzo and Root to take control over the matter. And thus, were left with no option but to support this bloodshed" the elderly man said, even hinting to regret in his voice.

"Wise words, councilman" Sasuke interrupted them once again and everyone focused their attention on him. "You did what was necessary for the Leaf Village to survive. Well, I know someone else who also did the same thing, even if it meant…massacring an entire clan and sparing me" the raven-haired man spoke up, his tone getting quite emotional. "The Uchiha clan may have been despised, but they had heroes. By that I mean heroes who were shining examples of what shinobis were. Among them was Itachi Uchiha" he then spoke up, thus surprising his peers once again.

"Itachi Uchiha…the former Akatsuki-member" Koharu uttered out lowly at what she was hearing. "Aside from Orochimaru, all Akatsuki-members who came from the Leaf Village were from the Uchiha clan. Those three were you, your brother….and of course, Obito Uchiha" the elderly lady then noted warily while facing down Sasuke.

The raven-haired man only narrowed his eyes by hearing this. "Even after what you have heard, you still refuse to acknowledge what sacrifices meant for the village?" he then asked her while making sure Tsunade and Homura got what was being said as well. "If it's truth you want, then it is truth you shall be given. Yes, I did once plan on destroying the Leaf Village. I first thought that it was the only way to eliminate the shadows that lurked in it. But something made me change my mind. It was when I first learned about my brother's sacrifice to preserve the Leaf Village's existence. When I learned that he had given away everything to save the village, I realized that I could not let his sacrifice go in vain. That was the main reason I chose to save the Leaf Village" Sasuke then told them, and everyone in the hall listened closely to what was being said.

Even Tsunade seemed interested in what Sasuke was about to sat and she even fixed a slight smile as she listened. Koharu and Homura remained unfazed, yet Sasuke's words had somewhat made them surprised.

"If you want to lock me up in a dungeon so badly then go ahead, I don't mind" Sasuke suddenly told them, his voice filled with dissatisfaction. But he was not finished just yet. "But know this, if you refuse to acknowledge all your failures as a shinobi and move on, then you are no different than the enemies you faced during the war" he then said with a slight smirk at the end of his sentence.

Once again, the hall was filled with silence and whispering were heard amongst the crowds once again. But Tsunade slammed the hammer on the bench and made sure that she got everyone's attention. She then glanced over at the jury box, where the jurors had been sitting and listening so far in silence.

"Jurors, we ask that you share with us your thoughts about what you have heard so far" the Hokage told them and made sure the jurors got this message loud and clear. "Shall this man be walking free in the world or shall he be put in jail? Now answer us if you have already decided on his verdict" she then asked the jurors.

Suzaku Nara was the first juror to respond, so he faced Sasuke, who did not bother facing those in the jury box. "The accused's words have some meaning, but that does not justify his misguided actions. And more importantly, I have not heard him once denounce the actions of Orochimaru. Even though he played a key part in ending the war, his actions should not be forgotten, as will the accused's. Therefore, I vote for sending him to prison" the man with the weird ponytail said while explaining his verdict.

Shikamaru, who was currently the new head of the Nara clan, thought about the verdict of Suzaku. "Hmmm…...well, I knew that he would've voted for imprisoning Sasuke. Suzaku sure is a crafty one once you get to know him better" he noted in his head while seeing the reaction among the crowds. He then faced the jury box. "I don't know what the other jurors have in mind, but I bet this does not go well for Sasuke. Sorry, Naruto" he silently apologized to his friends.

Santa Yamanaka was the second juror to answer. "Sasuke Uchiha has committed serious crimes as a rogue ninja, something he must answer for. However, listening to his own words and the choices he faced made me realize something. Yes, the world is not fair and not everyone is perfect. Even the Third Hokage himself would have agreed with what was being said in this hall. I hereby declare my vote to free Sasuke Uchiha and give him a chance for redemption" the long-haired man said, much to the gasps of someone in the hall.

Ino, who was currently the new head of the Yamanaka clan, could not help but to giggle to herself after hearing Santa's verdict. "Thanks Santa. I really appreciate you for being the juror. I'm also glad that you have decided to Sasuke a second chance. And I know for a fact that he is lonely on the inside…..I can feel it" Ino then thought while glancing at Sasuke. "Sasuke…..I know that you are stubborn and refuses to embrace me…but I really wanna get better acquainted with you…and you know that as well based upon my visits to you" she then added to her thoughts smugly.

Makaro Akimichi was the third juror to respond. "I'm not gonna lie, the accused sure seem cold and distant. And there is no question in my mind that his actions were inexcusable and horrendous, so he must be punished. But by that, I mean by making him serve the Leaf Village. If he is serious about owning up to his mistakes and correct them, then I see no reason for him to be locked up. I hereby declare my vote to free Sasuke Uchiha and give him a chance in redemption" the chubby and young clansman said, once again stunning the entire hall with his vote.

Chouza Akimichi sat on the chair with a proud smile formed across his face. The head of the Akimichi clan seemed to be happy about Makaro's choice. "Wise words there, Makaro! I'm glad that you spoke up your own reasons for casting the vote. It's because of lads like you that the Akimichi clan will continue to prosper" the chubby man said before fixing his eyes on his son. "I'm hoping that you see it as well, Chouji. You along with Makaro are part of the Akimichi clan's future" he then noted while watching Chouji.

Ko Hyuuga was the fourth juror to respond. "As much as I hate to agree with this man, there are some truth in his words. Everyone makes mistakes, even those from a mighty clan such as the Hyuuga clan. As much as I want to punish Sasuke Uchiha, I cannot see any reason for punishing him by keeping him locked. For too long, hatred has been allowed to run free in this village. But I want to end it. So, as an independent representative from the Hyuuga clan, I hereby cast my vote…...to free Sasuke Uchiha" the young man said and many were stunned by seeing the Hyuuga clan voting in favor of freeing Sasuke. But then again, the jurors were supposed to act independently from their clan heads.

Ko's decision had caused an angry reaction from Hiashi Hyuuga. Apparently, he was not happy with what the representative from the Hyuuga clan had done. "That imbecile! I strictly told him to not vote for freeing that bastard!" the long-haired man angrily said inside of himself. But he could suddenly feel someone stare at him. Turning right, he saw his eldest daughter Hinata Hyuuga glance at him with dispassionate eyes. She did not welcome his reaction to what Ko had decided. This forced Hiashi to calm himself and he tried his best not to show any signs of anger.

Muta Aburame was the fifth juror to respond. "I admire this man's willingness to accept his responsibilities, but I can't forget the deaths he has caused. No, seeing this man being loose and wreaking havoc on everything on his path makes me anxious. Even now, my own bugs do not even dare come near him. The black energy within him still lives. I hereby cast my vote to imprison Sasuke Uchiha" he said and laid down his vote.

Shibi Aburame, the head of the Aburame clan, was adjusting his sunglasses while listening to what was being discussed. "Well done, Muta. It was the right decision. As hard as it may sound, justice must be served" he noted in his head by what he was seeing.

Hana Inuzuka was the sixth and final juror to respond. "Now that I've heard what my fellow jurors have decided, I can't help but to feel stunned. Do they have any idea what voting for freeing this man even means? I mean, obviously they don't know how to think clearly…or maybe they do, actually. Listen…..I…I attended the same class as Itachi back when we were kids…I used to believe that he was nothing but a condemned criminal…..but now that I have learned the truth about his story….I really can't help but to realize how much he gave to preserve the Leaf Village's existence. And as an elder sibling, I believe that giving someone as second chance is worth it. Itachi would agree on that. That is why I vote to free Sasuke Uchiha and let him serve the Leaf Village" the young woman said while facing the raven-haired man, who only smiled lightly when hearing this.

Tsume Inuzuka could not help but to grin cockily at what her daughter had done. "Great choice, Hana. I can see that I perhaps made the right choice for appointing you the juror. You've really grown" the woman with the feral eyes noted smugly at what she was seeing.

Tsunade then smiled and faced down at the raven-haired man. "Then it is settled. Sasuke Uchiha, from this day, we have decided to sentence you to eternal service to the Leaf Village. From here on out, you shall work in the shadows…and be a member of the ANBU Black Ops!" Tsunade then declared and slammed the hammer on the bench.

The hall then suddenly felt the unthinkable and the sounds of clapping could be heard. While it was not necessarily directed towards Sasuke, it still received so much applause. This was because of Tsunade's judgement, as they felt it was the wisest of her.

Sasuke did not know what to do know, as he could feel the handcuffs being released from his grip. The raven-haired man was still facing the floor, his heads filled with so many conflicting thoughts. He was supposed to be happy now, but he couldn't feel those feelings. Sasuke could no longer feel the emotions he had longed to feel. Where would he go now? At this point, he was unsure about what to do. He felt lost, probably for the first time since he was a young boy.

"Sasuke!" a voice called out to him. Turning around, his black eyes widened in slight surprise by seeing Naruto stand there clapping his hands. The blonde-haired man smiled at him before raising his thumb at him. "How does it feel to be out of the hospital?" he then asked with his cheeky grin.

"Naruto…." Sasuke spoke up lowly.

Naruto nodded his head in return. "Look, I get it. You're not feeling so good right now. However, you remember what I've told you back at the hospital. I will help you reconcile with the entire Leaf Village. I know it is a long way, but all you gotta do is trying to convince everyone that you're not the same criminal as you were once" the blonde-haired man then went on explaining this to him.

Although he was surprised at first, Sasuke formed a slight smile at the blonde-haired man in return. He even nodded at him weakly. "Naruto…thank you" he then said, expressing gratitude for Naruto in giving him a chance.

"Don't forget about me" Sakura's voice could be heard as she appeared before her teammates. The pinkette then fixed her emerald eyes upon Sasuke. "I am glad to see that you are back, Sasuke. You really are an inspiration" she told him, this time saying this as a compliment.

Sasuke could not help but to chuckle lightly in return. "Thank you…...Sakura" he replied before coming up with something else. "I could say the same thing about you two" he then said thus mentioning both Naruto and Sakura.

His two teammates only snapped in embarrassment and moved away from one another, with Naruto getting annoyed. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?" he demanded from his teammate, only feel his right ear pulled by Sakura. "OUCH! That hurt, Sakura!" he then winced in pain as his ear getting pulled.

"Stop acting like some child" Sakura said while gritting her teeth in irritation. But she soon stopped and faced Sasuke with her usual friendly smile. "So, what happens to you now?" she then asked him.

Sasuke felt somewhat unsure about how to respond to this and he faced the floor once again. Both Sakura and Naruto could tell that he was confused, as well as lonely. But Sasuke suddenly felt a friendly pat on his right shoulder and he could see that it was Sai who did that. The pale-skinned man only smiled at him in return.

"Congratulations on becoming an ANBU. I look so forward to work with you, Sasuke" Sai spoke at him and Sasuke could tell that the pale-skinned man spoke from the bottom of his heart. "I see you tomorrow at Tsunade's office, that is where we all new recruits will meet up. It will be nice getting better acquainted with you" he then said before taking off.

Sasuke simply waved friendly at him in return. But he was suddenly grabbed hold of his shoulders by Naruto, who looked at him gleefully. This only confused Sasuke.

"What the hell are you doing?" he lowly asked him.

Naruto continued to smile. "Isn't it great, Sasuke!? No more hospital visits! Now we can visit you whenever you like!" the blonde-haired man exclaimed only to snap when he felt that something was not right. This made him scratch behind his neck in embarrassment. "Oh right, surely you don't have a place to stay right now. But hey! Why don't stay over at my place until you get your own apartment. I mean, the last one you lived in were probably destroyed during Pain's invasion so you can stay with me if you like" Naruto suggested to him.

Sasuke was in deep thought at the moment. True, he had been many years away from the Leaf Village with no clue on what had happened. And since returning to the village, he had simply stayed in a hospital room. The raven-haired man eventually understood the wisdom in Naruto's words and nodded weakly at him.

"Well…suppose it can't hurt to stay with you…...until I get my own place, that is" Sasuke remarked, even forcing a slight smile at Naruto. "I greatly thank you for this offer" the raven-haired man said.

Naruto only grinned in return. "Eh, no biggie! I just don't wanna have you living on the streets like a bum or some sort" he replied and faced Sakura. "Do you have anything to contribute, Sakura?" he asked the pinkette.

Sakura nodded her head in return. "As a matter of fact, there is" Sakura said while resting a hand on Naruto's right shoulder. "We must at least celebrate your return to us" Sakura said while facing Sasuke.

The raven-haired man continued to glance at her with wondering eyes, not getting what she was trying to say. Sakura giggled by seeing how confused he seemed.

"What I mean is that we should go out and eat together! How about we go to this new fancy steakhouse? It will be only be us plus Chouji, Shikamaru and Ino. And don't worry, they are more than happy to see you" Sakura then told Sasuke.

Realizing that this was his chance to reconnect with his former classmates, Sasuke weakly nodded his head at him in return. "Well, why not? I have nothing else to do. So I will be happy to join you" he said to her.

Sakura smiled. "Good. And you don't have to worry about paying the bills. The dinner's all on Naruto!" she said with confidence in her voice.

Naruto snapped in disbelief by what she just said. "What!? Aw come on, Sakura! How come I always end up paying the…." The blonde-haired man stopped as he could see the pinkette's angry eyes flare. This caused Naruto to snap and he backtracked on what he just said. "On second thought, sure! I'll pay!" Naruto then said while sweating.

Sakura quickly reverted back to her sweet self and she ran straight towards the exit. "Then I see you two boys later!" she said while fixing a smug grin at Naruto.

Sasuke waved back at her in a friendly manner, but he could see that Naruto was feeling kind of weird. This confused the raven-haired man, so he decided to ask him something. "Are you and her in a relationship or some sort?" Sasuke suddenly asked him.

Naruto snapped in return, not believing what he just heard Sasuke ask him. "What kind of question is that!? There's no way that I would've…." Before Naruto could continue, Sasuke interrupted him.

"To be honest, you and she does make a perfect couple. Sakura is a strong woman. I know that she will be yours in the end" the raven-haired man then told him in a slightly smug manner, which astounded Naruto. "You can't fool me, Naruto. I know you still love her" he then said to him.

But Naruto quickly brushed it off and motioned for Naruto to follow him. "Well, what are waiting for? Let's go to my place. I'll lay out the extra bed and tell you anything about where the bathroom is or…" Naruto was stopped when Sasuke stopped.

"This isn't my first time living in an apartment, I know the drill" the raven-haired man told him flatly.

This forced Naruto to smile in return. "Oh right. Sorry" he admitted while scratching behind his neck. "But I'm just so glad that you're back in the village, Sasuke. I don't know what else to say" he then said.

Sasuke forced a light smile with his mouth. "So, shall we go?" he then asked him and Naruto nodded his head in return.

* * *

 _Inside a steak house_

This steak house was known to be as tall as a tower. It had undergone some significant changes during the rebuilding of the Leaf Village. In fact, it looked like a tower from a Japanese castle. It was what had become of the former steak house. It was definitely one of the favorite place of Chouji, as he simply loved the steak that as served at this place.

As Sasuke was following Naruto inside the tower, he had taken notice of a few people staring at him coldly. However, the raven-haired man did not seem to mind, as he somehow understood that when he chose the behavior, he chose the consequences. Even as they went inside, only a few people had even taken notice of his presence. However, it was best if he did not receive much attention.

"Ah, there's Sakura and the others. Obviously they have been waiting for us" Naruto told him and they approached a table in which Sakura was sitting at the right edge, Shikamaru at the left edge and Chouji and Ino at the inner side of the table. The outer side of the table were reserved for Naruto and Sasuke. "Hey there, everyone! We're here!" Naruto exclaimed as he took his seat.

Ino faced Sasuke with a smile. "Sasuke, so nice of you to join us! Boy have I really missed you" the blonde-haired woman told him.

Sasuke did not know how to respond, yet he simply waved his hand at Ino and her teammates friendly. "Hello. It's nice to see you all again" he simply said, feeling kind of awkward when saying this. Reconnecting with classmates felt challenging.

"Hey there, Sasuke" Chouji surprisingly returned the greeting in a friendly gesture before pointing his hand at the vacant seat. "You can sit there besides Naruto" he then insisted to him.

"Oh right. Thank you for reminding me" Sasuke said in return before taking his seat besides Naruto.

Ino beamed with confidence as she faced Sasuke. "I'm so glad to see that you're finally free, Sasuke. All of us had hoped that Lady Tsunade and the Leaf Council would see the benefits of not having you imprisoned. And here you are, back and free from all harm" she told Sasuke, as they sat across each other face to face. Sasuke was unsure about how to respond, as he only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know, Ino" Shikamaru spoke up lazily as usual. "I would've appreciated if he had spent at least some time in…EYOUCH!" Shikamaru winced slightly in pain as Ino had stabbed his left hand with a toothpick. She even glared at him furiously. Shikamaru gritted his teeth. "What the hell are you…." he asked lowly through gritted teeth.

"Behave, Shikamaru!" Ino lowly yet threateningly told him through her gritted teeth. She then pulled out the toothpick.

This forced Shikamaru to face Sasuke with a fake smile. He did that while holding onto his left hand. "Well, what I meant to say was….eh spending some time in hospital…yeah. You did sustain serious injuries, didn't you?" he then asked the raven-haired man, careful not to draw any serious attention from Ino.

Sasuke only nodded. "Yes. I did have injuries. However, I was under full supervision by the guards so it was almost like living in a prison. But I deserved it" the raven-haired man lowly admitted before facing Ino and the others. He tried to smile lightly at them. "I know that some of you have problems in trusting me and I can sympathize with you on that matter. But let me assure you, I mean none of you any harm" he then told them.

Sakura and Naruto were stunned by what he said, as were Ino and her teammates. But at least Ino seemed to be very moved by what he just said.

"Aww, that's a sweet thing to say, Sasuke" Ino spoke up, much to the raven-haired man's own confusion. "So now I hear that you will join the ANBU Black Ops. That sounds interesting" the blonde-haired woman said.

Sasuke nodded his head slightly. "For now, it would be best if I stay in the shadows. I know that the majority of the villagers still hate me. But I can take it" he said only to hear some stomach's grumble. Apparently, it came from Naruto. Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow in question. "Hungry?" he then asked him.

Naruto slumped himself. "Well, yeah. I'm freaking starving. Not to mention the fact I'm in charge of paying…." He stopped as he could hear Sakura crack her knuckles. This forced Naruto to take a drastic approach. "Well, I'm in charge of paying for you all so I'm really glad to help out my friends" the blonde-haired man said while facing Sakura with a wink.

She giggled by seeing this and then faced Ino and the others. "Well, shall we take our order? I say we go for something easy" the pinkette suggested to them.

Chouji nodded his head in return and faced the grill in the middle. "I recommend we take grilled steak and put it on the grill! Ya know how tasty those things are" he said with a hint of hunger on his expression.

Sasuke surprisingly smiled at him. "That sounds like a good recommendation, Chouji. Maybe we should do that, since you're the expert" he then said to the chubby man.

Chouji felt somewhat happy to hear this and he almost shed a tear, which made everyone confused. "I didn't realize how I needed to hear those words, Sasuke. You never judge me for the food I chose…...unlike some others I could name" he said before briefly look to his right side at Ino.

The blondie snapped at this glance of his. "What!? Oh please, I have never judged you for what food you eat, Chouji! Stop sounding so insecure!" she scolded him. She then turned her sweet and generous expression towards Sasuke. "So…what do you wanna eat, Sasuke?" she then asked him.

Sasuke forced a slight smile. "Well, I'm not familiar with this menu, but I think I'll have grilled steak, along with water" he then answered her.

Naruto fixed a smug glance at everyone on the table. "We're not gonna celebrate without some good-old-fashioned sake, right?" he then asked them all before facing Sakura. "Come on, Sakura. Let us celebrate, just this night" he then told her.

Sakura sighed deeply before fixing a smile. "Alright, we'll take that as well. But remember, no refill!" she sternly told them all.

The food was served and everyone was enjoying with grilled steak, as well as some wasabi and rice. They first had water to drink, before the small bottles of sake came to their table. So far, they were all enjoying their meal, even Sasuke. He was glad to have joined this trip, as it gave him a perfect opportunity to reconnect with his former classmates, although he understood that it was a long way to go.

"Hey Naruto, would you like to pour some sake on my cup?" Sakura asked him sweetly.

The blonde-haired man gulped, yet he smiled as he did that. "Sure. Here you go, Sakura" he said as he poured the sake. Sakura smiled as he did that.

Sasuke saw this shared between those two and could not help but to smile. He realized that those two were perfect for each other, and he was glad on their behalf. However, the raven-haired man's thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Ino.

"Um Sasuke. Could you pour some sake on my cup, please?" she asked him sweetly while giving him her cup.

The raven-haired was surprised at first and he felt unsure. However, he eventually took the bottle of sake and filled up Ino's cup. He then nodded at her and gave Ino her cup.

"Here's your cup, enjoy" Sasuke said, feeling unsure whether those were the right words for him to say.

Ino gently took the cup and giggled. "Thanks, Sasuke. I appreciate your helpfulness" she then said, nodding her head at him in gratitude.

Shikamaru only rolled his eyes as he saw what Ino was doing. "Don't try taking advantage of him, Ino. You know very well that….." Shikamaru paused by seeing Ino glare at him furiously. This forced Shikamaru to chuckle lightly in return. "Relax, I was just being sarcastic. I know that you wouldn't take advantage of him and he the other way. That's just…." Shikamaru suddenly felt a punch on his face by Ino, thus making him fall onto the floor despite the fact that they were sitting on the floor.

"Will you stop messing around, Shikamaru? I'm trying to enjoy my meal here!" Ino then told Shikamaru.

"Gee, Ino. You really don't need to hit your teammates. That's so unnecessary" Sakura scolded her.

Ino glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "Says you? You keep banging Naruto for no reason, Sakura. How do you justify that kind of behavior towards your teammate?" she then pointed out to him.

Before Sakura could say anything in return, Naruto stepped in and held up his cup before the pinkette. Sakura was confused and watched the blonde-haired man, who fixed an innocent-looking expression on his face. Apparently, he wanted something from her.

"Umm…..could you pour some sake to me, Sakura? Ya know, since I did that for you?" he then asked him gently. He hoped that this would stop ease her anger and to Naruto's surprise, it did. The pinkette smiled at him and then started pouring some sake into his cup. Naruto grinned with satisfaction and then decided to take a drink from the cup. He drank all the sake and he gasped in relief. "Ah, that was refreshing! Always good to fill my throat with something as refreshing!" he then exclaimed and then glanced over at Sasuke, who was still concentrating eating his food. "Hey Sasuke, aren't you gonna try some sake? I guarantee you it tastes good" he then asked Sasuke, although it was uncertain whether he was drunk or not.

The raven-haired man smiled at his friend in return and slightly shook his head. "I appreciate your generous offer, but I'm still trying to eat" Sasuke said, only to feel his stomach grumble slightly. It made him curse silently, yet all his friends continued to watch him confused. Sasuke chuckled. "Well, I'm still hungry. And maybe I could eat some more steaks. That would end my hunger" he then noted to himself.

"Here you go, Sasuke. Enjoy!" Ino said sweetly as she used her sticks to pick up the three remaining steaks on the grill, before giving them to Sasuke's table. "You must be really hungry, so you can take the rest of them" the blondie then added sweetly, much to Sasuke's own astonishment. Nevertheless, he did nod at her lowly, as a thank you.

Chouji snapped by seeing Ino's actions. "But Ino, I was gonna eat those steaks!" the chubby man began pouting after seeing the steaks being given to Sasuke.

"Oh shush with you, Chouji! Sasuke's the one hungry here, not you!" she scolded her teammate, and Chouji backed down after hearing those words. "And besides, all those steaks not good for you" the blondie added to her statement.

Hearing this made Chouji feel somewhat sad, yet he did not cry. "You don't have be so mean" he then said lowly while facing his teammate with a somewhat ashamed look on her face.

"Honestly Ino. You're acting like a sanctimonious bitch right now" Sakura sternly told her, much to the snapping of Shikamaru, Chouji and Naruto. Sasuke did not know what was going one right now.

However, Ino simply glared at Sakura in return with narrowed eyes. "What did you just call me!? Oh, I get it! You're jealous because I'm willing to show more kindness to Sasuke than you, Billboard Brow!" the blondie said to her in return.

Sakura rose up from her seat and angrily glared daggers at Ino. "What did you just say to me, Ino-pig!? I dare you to come and say that before my face!" the pinkette taunted back at Ino.

"You heard what I said!" Ino said as she rose up from her seat and glared at Sakura in return. "You just don't have enough guts to admit that I'm the sexiest in the Leaf Village!" she then challenged the pinkette.

"WHAT!?" Sakura asked in an offended manner and continued this glaring-contest against Ino. "Look who's talking! I am way more woman than you!" the pinkette said back to her.

Naruto knew that he needed to interfere, so he simply tried to block Sakura from ever walking towards Ino or as much as lay a hand on her. "Calm down, Sakura! You're freaking embarrassing us for crying out loud" Naruto pleaded to her while sweating.

"No! I'm about to teach Ino here as lesson in respect!" Sakura said defiantly in return.

Meanwhile, Chouji knew he would have to do the same with Ino, so he rose up and tried to restrain her as well. It did not end well as he would've hoped. "Ino, stop acting so self-righteous. Can't you and Sakura just…." The chubby man was stopped by Ino angrily glaring at him.

"Shut up, fatass!" she then said the harshest word that was very sensitive to Chouji.

The brown-haired man was furious over the word, so he threw a tantrum. "I'M NOT FAT, I'M BIG-BONED! HUMAN BOULDER!" he then angrily exclaimed while using the attack to wreak havoc on the entire tower.

* * *

 _Later….._

Naruto was walking along with Sasuke and it was night. The blonde-haired man was feeling quite depressed and Sasuke could see that. The raven-haired man on the other hand seemed perfectly composed and only tried to help up Naruto each time he fell onto the ground.

"I can't believe I had to pay up the half the damages to the steakhouse….now I don't have any money left…." Naruto said while facing the ground, tears of frustration streaming from his eyes. "I mean, how come I got dragged into this mess!? It was Chouji who did most of the damaging!" he then asked out in anger as he walked.

While listening to this, Sasuke could not help but to smile as he watched the road ahead of him. "You know something? I'm glad that all of you remain the same" he said, much to the surprise of Naruto.

"Huh? But how can you be so sure?" Naruto asked before he yawned deeply in return. "Anyways, let's just go back and get some rest, I'm tired of all this bullcrap!" he then said.

As he watched Naruto walk, Sasuke could not help but to think about his elder brother Itachi and what he had done for the Leaf Village. He was now the last of the Uchiha, the last of his clan. But was it necessary for him to be continuing avenging his clan? Not anymore. Sasuke was thinking about what his current fate was.

"Itachi, you sacrificed much to preserve this village's existence. While I may never understand why you loved it so much…I can see why you chose this to live this way of life" Sasuke thought as he walked. "Someday, I will understand your motives. By staying in the village, I know I can find the answers that I need" the raven-haired man thought.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: That was the first of this short prequel to A New Generation. I will try to make this as original as I possibly can. The story will not just be focused on Naruto and Sasuke, but also Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee and others who ends up marrying and making the families that you'll find in A New Generation. I can't say what the next chapter will be, but I may write something about Kiba and Hinata. Also, the Sasuke in my story may have the same personality as Batman and Samurai Jack. He is still trying to figure out a way to deal with the darkness inside of him. Well, stay tuned for more!**


	2. Never Easy

**Author's note: This chapter will tell us more about the other characters and how they had to cope with the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi World War. It will actually feature a lemon scene between Kiba and Hinata. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you not to read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Never Easy**

 _2 and a half years after the war, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Land of Fire_

"Hey there, ladies! Are some of you single? If so, just call me! I'm free all day and night!" this was Kiba Inuzuka trying to woo some bypassing ladies in the park. The brown-haired man showed them his feral grin while he was sitting on a bench, with his dog partner Akamaru lying beside him. "We can hang out! Just me, one of you and my best pal Akamaru! How does that sound?" the brown-haired man said while trying to act flirtatious with the women.

One of the ladies simply scoffed at his words. "Ugh, in your dreams! No way I'm gonna date a man who's got so many fleas on himself!" she said while dismissing him.

"How about "No way, tramp!" the other lady said, thus forcing the two women to giggle afterwards. They took pleasure in mocking Kiba.

When seeing this, most would have expected Kiba to simply not give them much thought and simply leave them alone. However, to the utter disgust of the two bypassing ladies, the brown-haired man with the red markings on his cheeks and a faded goatee on his chin began flipping his middle finger at the two ladies. They were stunned, yet Kiba did not seem to mind at all.

"You're calling me a tramp, huh? Well suck on this, whores!" he then hit back at the ladies.

The ladies were utter outraged by Kiba's rude gesture and comment and they proceeded to move on, getting far away from him as possible.

"YOU ARE SO DISRESPECTFUL! STAY AWAY FROM US!" one of the ladies complained as she walked away.

However, Kiba did not care what they thought and simply grunted in return. "Whatever you say…whiney bitch" he spoke up with his usual rude language. The brown-haired man suddenly felt Akamaru nudging against him and it made the brown-haired man raise an eyebrow in question. Apparently, Akamaru was kind of surprised at his master's rude behavior. "What? Well, they disrespected us first. I'm not gonna sit by and deal with that kinda crap" Kiba told his partner as the white-furred dog listened carefully.

But the brown-haired man's thoughts were interrupted by hearing the sound of walking in the park. This time, it came from a young brown-haired woman, who was out walking with her small dog, who seemed to be a bit smaller than Akamaru. Seeing this forced the brown-haired man to grin at his partner, yet Akamaru felt a bad feeling about this.

"Now's my chance! That girl over there is definitely a dog-lover! If I take Akamaru with me, she'll definitely be interested in going out on a date!" Kiba thought to himself mischievously and then motioned for Akamaru to tag along with him. His dog followed Kiba and as they stumbled across the woman and her dog, Kiba started acting all flirtatious with her. "Hey there, baby! Nice dog ya have there" the brown-haired man said while fixing his usual feral grin.

The young woman felt kind of dull as she heard what Kiba said, yet she let her dog and Akamaru greet each other. Akamaru was friendly as usual. "Thanks…...well your dog is certainly nice" the young woman said. However, she could notice Kiba taking some steps towards her and it made her feel quite uncomfortable. "What are you…" she uttered out in confusion.

Kiba flashed her a smile while winking at her. "Listen here, sugar. You look kinda lonely walking out alone with your dog. Let's say you and me go hang out sometimes. And of course, our dogs can join us, if you wanna" the brown-haired man tried his best to make her fall for him. The woman felt more uncomfortable as Kiba neared her, face to face. "So, what's it gonna be, hotshot? Are you on this or are you…" the brown-haired man was out of the open slapped so hard across his face by the woman in anger. The slap was powerful and it sent him flying until he landed on the ground with a handmark across his face.

The young woman huffed. "You're such a disgusting pig! And your breath stinks! Why in the world would I ever say yes to a flirtatious jackass like you!?" she then snapped at him while crossing her arms.

Kiba rubbed his sore face before facing the woman with an angered expression on her face. "The fuck's your problem, you whore!? Why did you slap my face!?" he then spat out at her.

The brown-haired woman was furious. "My problem!? You're the one who got up to my face and breathed shit into me, you lousy fleabag!" she strictly replied before walking past him and Akamaru. "Now leave me alone! And don't you ever come up to my face again!" she then added while proceeding to walk on the path.

Kiba got up on his feet and once again began flipping off with his middle finger at her while rubbing his sore face. "Fine! Keep walking! I won't bother you! No man wants to hang out with a dimwitted bitch like you, anyways!" the brown-haired man spat at the woman, who only seemed to ignore his harsh words.

Akamaru looked up to his owner and he could see how quite frustrated Kiba was. The brown-haired man with faded goatee was still trying to rub his sore face, as the red handmark never left him. The white-furred dog could see Kiba run into a nearby tree and started leaning on against it. Kiba was still feeling somewhat disappointed.

"Damn it! Why the hell must women be so difficult!?" Kiba asked out in anger before sitting on his behind. "I have the charms, personality and looks! What else am I missing!?" he asked once again.

But after he complained, he could hear another voice of women coming from the road. This got Kiba's attention, as they were in fact speaking about something of value. The brown-haired man crawled to the nearby bushes and decided to spy the scene.

"You see who's walking there? It's Naruto Uzumaki! Rumor has it that he will be the new Hokage someday" one of the women began gossiping to her friend as they were watching him walking besides Sakura. "And who's the girl he's with? She looks familiar" the woman added.

"Duh, that's Sakura Haruno! She's the Fifth Hokage's disciple!" the other women told her before she was beginning to become concentrated on Naruto. "But I'm like so jealous of her right now! Naruto Uzumaki is like…..THE most handsome shinobi there is! And whoever becomes Naruto's wife is definitely lucky!" she then added to her statement.

Yes, Kiba had begun taking a glance at Naruto, who was walking beside Sakura. It appears as they were having a talk on their way, even though it could in secret be interpreted as a date. The brown-haired man began gritting his feral teeth as he watched the blonde-haired man walk besides Sakura. He crawled out the bush and began sitting on his behind once again.

"Naruto this, Naruto that, blah, blah blah! What's so special about that blockhead, anyway? It's not like he's a god or something!" Kiba added before he began thinking about what the girls had said about Naruto. "New Hokage they say? Give me a break! It takes more than winning a battle to achieve that title! I mean, even I could become a good Hokage! Yet people still favor him above me!" the brown-haired man added to his thoughts.

One of Kiba's dreams had to become a Hokage, yet many of the villagers who did not believe he was qualified to carry the mantle. Even some of his friends also agreed that Kiba's own repulsiveness and immaturity only ruined his leadership-potentiality. However, Naruto was quite similar to Kiba as well, yet he was now considered a better candidate for Hokage. Anger, resentment and frustration slightly began to take hold on Kiba. Akamaru lied beside him and Kiba responded by patting his head friendly. It made him smile a little.

"Thanks, Akamaru. At least you know when I need someone to lean onto" he thanked his partner as they sat by themselves. He was currently in deep thought. "Come on, I don't have any particular grudge against Naruto. He deserves respect….yet sometimes…ARGH I FEEL SO CONFUSED!" he then thought while starting to lose concentration.

Suddenly, he could hear someone appear before him and Kiba looked up to see his own teacher Kurenai Yuhi standing before him. The black-haired woman was smiling as she was holding hands with her two-year-old boy, Ayumu. He was the son of Kurenai and Asuma and he possessed his father's short hair and his mother's crimson eyes. The young boy began petting Akamaru, who simply enjoyed being giving this kind of attention.

"Hey there, Kurenai-sensei" Kiba said while waving at her in his usual laid-back manner. He then glanced to see what Ayumu were doing. "And hello there, little man. Nice to see you too" he then told the young boy, who was having fun with petting Akamaru.

Kurenai smiled at her student. "Kiba. Fancy seeing you here sitting in the park. What are you doing here?" she then asked while beginning to friendly pat the brown-haired man's head. However, the crimson-eyed woman could notice the red handprint on Kiba's face and it made her concerned. "Goodness, what happened to your face? It looks so red" she then asked him with worry.

Kiba sighed deeply as he began facing down with a somewhat miserable expression on his face. "Well, I was trying to find myself a date. And here you see the result. It ended miserably. None of those girls showed any interest in me, even the dog-lovers!" he then explained the reason behind the handprint.

Kurenai could not help but to chuckle lightly at what she was seeing. "I see. Well it's not so bad. You just need to be patient. I know that there is at least one woman in this world who will fall for someone like you" the black-haired woman insisted to her student.

Kiba got up on his feet, his face still feeling so miserable. "How long do I have to be patient, sensei? I'm sick and tired of this wait-and-see BS! Every time I ask nicely, they only end up badmouthing me and Akamaru" he then said, making sure not to use curse words due to little Ayumu being near him.

"Are you still feeling resentment towards Naruto?" Kurenai suddenly asked the brown-haired man and Kiba snapped as he heard this. The crimson-eyed woman crossed her arms while glancing at her with slight dispassion. "You gotta let go of that dream, Kiba. Being Hokage has always been Naruto's idea and he has walked a long way to be able to become one. You don't have what it takes to be one" she then told the brown-haired man.

Kiba only scoffed in return. "Gee, you're starting to sound a lot like Shino. It really irritates me" he then admitted to his teacher.

Kurenai only smirked in return. "Well, Shino was also my student and your teammate" she chuckled while she was reminded about her other student. "It's hard to believe that Shino's currently engaged to someone. He wasn't much of a talker, especially to girls" Kurenai remarked amusingly.

Kiba had also heard about it. Since the aftermath of the war, Shino Aburame had been in some form of relationship with a kunoichi from the Aburame clan. It was a young woman named Umeko. After going out and getting better acquainted with each other during missions, Shino surprisingly proposed to Umeko, which was astounding, given his reserved persona.

"Who cares about Shino? He's only engaged to someone from his own clan!" Kiba said while crossing his arms and looking away. "I for one, am NOT gonna marry someone from my clan. That's just stupid and baseless in my opinion" the brown-haired man added in his defiance.

Ayumu was done petting Akamaru and he walked back to his mother. Kurenai then proceeded to carry her little son. However, she was not yet finished with her talk with Kiba. There was something else she wished to talk with him about.

"Anyway, I best tell you the real reason why I came looking for you" Kurenai said, this catching Kiba's attention. He was surprised by what he just heard from his teacher. The crimson-eyed woman sighed deeply before answering. "Kiba, I came here to ask of you something. Have you noticed that Hinata has been feeling sort of depressed lately?" she then asked the brown-haired man.

Kiba's eyes widened slightly, yet he did not necessarily seem surprised. "I don't know. Isn't that just her usual personality? The war has changed Hinata, ya know. She did lose Neji" he then pointed out to her. Neji was one of the many brave shinobis that had perished during the war. It had left a great deal of sadness in the Hyuuga clan. Even his cousins Hinata and Hanabi had mourned his death. "Are you saying that there's something more that Hinata's sad about?" Kiba then asked Kurenai.

The black-haired woman nodded her head as a yes in agreement. "I'm afraid so" she admitted to her student. She then made sure that no one was spying on them. She then leaned closer to Kiba to say something to him silently. "I believe that she is quite depressed after learning about Naruto choosing Sakura over her" she then told him.

"You think that's the case?" Kiba asked her with a raised eyebrow. "I don't know. I know that Hinata's had feelings towards Naruto…but I don't think he had necessarily the same feelings towards her in return. He only viewed Hinata as a good friend. Furthermore, Hinata did look up to Naruto as an inspiration" the brown-haired man then went on emphasizing on the matter.

Kurenai fixed a slight smile as she glanced at her young, robust student. "Kiba. You seem to know a great deal about her more than me. Why don't you go and visit her? Just try to talk to her, see if there is anything you can do" she then urged him.

The young man was surprised to hear this. He then began scratching the back of his head. "I guess I could. But you know Hinata and her family. I mean, her dad is like the number 1. Deadbeat-dad in the entire Leaf Village. He will just scare off any visitors who's not a Hyuuga" Kiba then told her.

The crimson-eyed woman frowned deeply as she heard his words. "Kiba, it's not nice of you to call someone like Hiashi Hyuuga for a deadbeat-dad. He really loves his daughters" Kurenai insisted to him.

Kiba shrugged his shoulders in return. "Well, he did neglect Hinata when she was younger. That's what a deadbeat dad does. Maybe my dad is the same thing" he then said in return while slowly facing the ground while mentioning his father, whom Kiba did not know much about.

"I must say, you really sound kind of interested in Hinata. Why don't you just visit the mansion just one time? And if you're refused entry, then tell them I sent you" Kurenai then went on explaining the details while giving him a smug wink.

The brown-haired man formed a slight smile, finding some truth and amusement in his teacher's words. He then motioned for Akamaru to accompany him. "Alright, we're heading towards her. I'll see you two around. You take care of yourself, little man" he said while pointing his finger at Ayumu, who only laughed cheerfully at this in return. Both he and his mother waved Kiba goodbye as he went back on the road and headed towards the Hyuuga-mansion. As he walked on the road, Kiba could not help but to wonder whether Hinata herself would be open to talk with him about her pain. "I know Hinata's a strong and gentle woman, but I'm not sure whether she's willing to open herself about what's been plaguing her. Anyway, I'm gonna go and see what her deal is. Come one, I'm her teammate. I can't turn back on a friend in need" Kiba then said to himself as Akamaru listened closely.

* * *

 _Inside the Hokage Tower_

The door to Tsunade's office suddenly opened and in came Sasuke, who had just been told to meet with the Hokage the moment he was freed from all kinds of persecution. However, that did not end all the distrust and misgivings the people of the Leaf held towards him. Nevertheless, Sasuke realized that from now on, only the shadows could give him refuge from these cold glances, along with Naruto, of course.

Sasuke was surprised to find himself walking between lines of ANBUs. Each of them were wearing masks and it was impossible or Sasuke to identify who each of these members were. It was also notable by the fact that the outfit they wore were black instead of grey. However, the raven-haired man walked towards the table, where Tsunade was sitting and waiting with Shizune and Shikamaru standing by her from each side. Neither of them looked happy to see him, yet Tsunade had formed a smirk with her lips as Sasuke approached her.

"Glad you could make it, Sasuke Uchiha" Tsunade said smugly as her eyes faced the raven-haired man. "I take it you have enjoyed your first day of freedom so far" she then added to her statement.

Surprisingly, Sasuke smiled lightly and nodded weakly at her words. "Yes. I have indeed" he then said while taking a brief glance at Shikamaru, who was still frowning at him. Despite this, Sasuke exchanged at nod with him, probably in reference to the dinner at the steakhouse yesterday. The raven-haired man resumed his focus on the Hokage. "I see that you have gathered quite a few handful of shinobis. Are they all new recruits to the ANBU?" he then asked while briefly looking over his shoulder.

"Hardly" a stern female voice could be heard from behind and Sasuke turned around to see who it was. It was a purple-haired woman, who was dressed in ANBU clothes and wore a white mask. However, she had long, purple hair reaching to her waist. "These are people who have all experience being out in the fields. Perhaps you can learn something from them, ex-criminal" she added before removing her ask, thus exposing her face with brown eyes.

Sasuke's eyed widened by what he was seeing. "You…." He said lowly, not saying anything else.

The woman fixed a deep frown. "It's been a long time, Sasuke Uchiha. I take it recognize me. Well yes. I am Yugao Uzuki, the same woman who found you as the only survivor of the Uchiha Clan Massacre…..or at least what we thought it was" the purple-haired woman said while revealing who she was. "Sometimes, I wonder whether I should've actually killed you instead of letting you live" she then admitted with surprisingly no emotion in her voice.

Sasuke only formed a deep frown in return as he heard her words. "Quit lecturing me about the past, woman. You're an ANBU. Therefore, you should know the real truth of what really happened back then" he then told her.

"I do, actually" Yugao said, thus shutting him. "However, if you think that it will justify your misguided actions then you're obviously dumber than what I first thought" she then pointed out to him while crossing her arms.

The raven-haired man then faced the Hokage. "So, I'm the only new one here. Something tells me that you're up to something, not to mention that the windows are covered by curtains" Sasuke then realized as he took notice of what was happening.

"Hmmm…you catch on pretty fast. I like that" Tsunade revealed to him before narrowing her eyes. "What you see here behind you is the member of a new branch of the ANBU Black Ops. This one was formed in the aftermath of the war. Formed by both veteran ANBU members and former members of the defunct Root, this one operates from the shadows and answer to no one but me. Because of their nature, I have named this branch the Shadow Squad" the blonde-haired woman revealed to Sasuke.

Sasuke had to admit he was impressed. "Intriguing. But I have a question for you. Is it really necessary with having this kind of branch?" he then asked the Hokage.

"Apparently, you seem to lack some information about us" the voice of Yugao interrupted him and the purple-haired woman glanced at him with stern eyes. "Even if the war is over crime and corruption continue to hamper throughout the world. Even now, you don't just sense them in the smaller countries but also in the bigger countries like the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning. We were allied with those nations, yet we still have reported sings of unrest at the borders of their nations. Investigating those is our responsibility, not just domestic operations" she then went on explaining what the thing was.

Tsunade smirked by hearing this. "Well said, Yugao" she said and focused her attention on Sasuke once more. "Yugao here is the Commander of the Shadow Squad. I appointed her due to her abilities as a leader and strategist" the blonde-haired woman then explained.

Sasuke could then see two ANBU members approach Sasuke while standing beside Yugao. They each held something in their hands. The woman held the black outfit that was used by these ANBUs. The man was holding a porcelain mask that had eyes and markings of a beak, indicating it was a bird mask or some sort. The raven-haired man was confused at this.

"You're gonna have to change into these outfit if you are to join us out in the fields. Now I heard that you and your little group of bandits were called Taka. That is why we made this bird mask in homage" the purple-haired woman then noted with humor in her voice. She then motioned for him to accept the clothes and mask.

Sasuke did that without hesitation. He did not actually care about what the purple-haired woman just told him about Taka and the homage. He accepted and gave both ANBUs a nod in appreciation.

"Thank you kindly…." He said before he noticed something particular with the male ANBU. He immediately recognized the black hair and formed a slight smirk with his mouth. "Sai..." he then noted, thus causing the man to chuckle.

He removed his mask and revealed himself to be Sai. The pale-faced man simply smiled at Sasuke. "You're quite clever to discover why it was. Maybe I will need to get a better mask" he then admitted with some sort of humor in his voice. "And by the way, we address each other by our codenames in the Shadow Squad, which is common for those serving in the ANBU Black Ops. My codename is: Penisshaft" he then revealed, despite the absurdity of the codename.

Sasuke only raised his eyebrow slightly in question, not sure whether he could actually take Sai's words seriously. Even as he had begun to recover his emotions and feelings, Sai still had the habit of being interested in the male private parts. In fact, many had expected him to be an artist who drew naked pictures instead of serving as a shinobi. But Sai was Sai.

The female ANBU with the teal hair only facepalmed with her own mask. "Honestly, you need to have better codename, Sai. It just doesn't sound appropriate for an ANBU" she said before removing her mask, thus revealing her face with lime green eyes.

"Who are you?" Sasuke then asked her. "I've never seen you in the Leaf Village before" he added to his question.

The long teal-haired woman narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm under no obligation to answer you, ex-criminal. You may as well start knowing your place among us" she then replied with sternness, similar to Yugao.

"Her name is Asami Nakano. She's Commander Yugao's second-in-command" Sai suddenly told him, much to the outrage of the woman named Asami. "Like me, she was also once a member of Root, but after it disbanded, she was brought back into Tsunade's service" the pale-faced man went on telling about her.

"Moron! What have I told you about revealing my identity to strangers!?" Asami snapped at him. "And besides, you didn't address me by my codename, it's Haul" she added to her words.

Sasuke only shrugged his shoulders and then glanced at Yugao. "Anyway, you probably want me to have a codename as well while I'm in your service. Well I have already come up with a codename" he then revealed to her.

The purple-haired woman was surprised, yet she formed a smirk beneath her expression. "Oh yeah? Then why don't you reveal it to us all know. In that way, we'll know what to address a once former international criminal" Yugao then suggested to him.

The raven-haired man simply ignored her tone and decided to reveal his choice of codename to his fellow ANBUs. "My codename will be…...Deathhawk…remember that name" Sasuke revealed to everyone, as he was sounding serious. Sasuke then went outside to change into his new costume.

As Sasuke exited, Sai could not help but to chuckle lightly. "Deathhawk…how creative of him" the pale-skinned man then admitted to his fellow ANBUs, yet none of them responded to what he was saying.

Yugao and Asami faced Tsunade and bowed their heads at him with formality. "Lady Tsunade, we respect your decision. However, do you think that this is the right way to keep him in check" the purple-haired woman asked the Hokage.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "We lost many potential candidates, Yugao. We both know why Kakashi and Anko refused our offer….I cannot even mention now" the blonde-haired woman revealed before she decided to add more words to her answer. "And besides, we all know that Sasuke does not want tor return to a life of crime anymore. Or more importantly, he's still hated and feared. By having him work out in the fields, the people of the Leaf don't haven have to deal with him being in the village so often. In that way, they may as well forget he even exists" the blonde-haired woman then explained her reasons.

"Even so, he needs to be watched. All of us should take great caution" Asami spoke up. "But then again, he could become a valuable asset to the Shadow Squad" Asami then pondered.

Tsunade smirked. "Which is why I brought him in the ANBU Black Ops. With new corrupt and greedy criminals taking advantage of the poor and defenseless, an enforcer like Sasuke could be useful to us in terms of keeping the peace" the Hokage then said smugly.

"I just hope you know what you're doing, Lady Tsunade" Shikamaru said as he was acting all laidback and lazy as usual. "As much as I see the merit in having him in the force, I can't help but to feel worried about what he might be capable of" the young man with the ponytail said.

"You shouldn't be worrying so much, Shikamaru. The Shadow Squad will sometimes be cooperating with the Interrogation Squad. Therefore, he is definitely under close supervision" the blonde-haired woman said before facing Shikamaru smugly. "You should be rather worried about your upcoming trip to the Sand Village" she then told him.

Shikamaru snapped as he heard this. He groaned while scratching behind his neck. "Okay, I get it. Just don't mention that to me, okay?" he then kindly requested her before letting out a sigh. "I'm 100 % certain that Temari's gonna be up my ass all day when I get there" the young man with the ponytail said, causing some of the ANBUs to chuckle to themselves. Even Shizune did that. Shikamaru facepalmed. "Damn it, not again" he lowly cursed.

The door opened and in came Sasuke, who was now dressed in the black outfit worn by members of the Shadow Squad. In addition to that, he wore his bird-like mask. The raven-haired man also carried his sword on his back. There was no question about it, Sasuke was officially a member of the ANBU Black Ops and their secret branch.

Tsunade smirked by what she was seeing. "Nice getup you have there" she said while rising up on her feet. "Well then, on behalf of all these proud shinobis, I welcome you into the Shadow Squad, Deathhawk" the Hokage then welcomed the raven-haired man, who only took off his mask, thus revealing his deep frown and serious eyes. Sasuke was now ready to protect the Leaf Village from the shadows, just like his brother had done it before him.

* * *

 _At the Hyuuga mansion_

Kiba and Akamaru had reached the mansion and they were surprised to see that there was no one standing outside. Everything seemed so empty. The brown-haired man with the faded goatee only scratched the back of his hair while looking around for any members of the Hyuuga clan. Neither he or Akamaru could spot one as they had passed through the gates and into the mansion's courtyard

"Well…this seems weird" Kiba noted as he and Akamaru began taking steps towards the mansion's entrance. "Hey Akamaru, do you smell anybody here in the courtyard?" he then asked his partner who only barked in return.

Kiba fixed his feral eyes upon the doors as he and his partner approached it. When standing right before the doors, he looked at both sides to see if there were anybody but saw none. He then took a deep breath while pulling the collar of his grey jacket.

"Okay Akamaru, this is it" Kiba said as he began knocking on the door with moderate bangs. Hopefully they would not get angry about such knocks. While waiting, Kiba began to think about what would happen now. "I wonder who will answer the door. If Hiashi's the one answering then I'm definitely screwed. Who knows what kind of words he will say to me when he hears that I'm here to visit Hinata. But come on, I'm a grown man, I've dealt with worse things than…" Kiba's thoughts were interrupted as the door of the mansion was opened.

Standing in the door was Hinata's younger sister: Hanabi Hyuuga. The teenaged girl with brown hair only stood and glanced up at Kiba. Her expression was quite similar to that of normal Hyuugas: always so stern and strict. It was to Kiba's knowledge, quite the opposite of Hinata, who were always that kind and gentle.

Kiba tried to put a smile at the teenager. "Ah, hey there, Hanabi. It's been a long time, huh?" he then said to her, yet Hanabi did not particular respond to his sentence. This made him sweat a little. "Well, I remember the last time you…." He was silenced by Hanabi's own words.

"Get to the point. Why have you come here?" Hanabi asked him sternly, not sparing any pleasantry in her voice.

"Oh, I just came here to see Hinata. Kurenai-sensei sent me" Kiba then responded while slowly turning around, looking over his shoulder to face the young girl. "But if she is not allowed any visitors then I can just come back some other…." Kiba was once again interrupted by Hanabi's voice.

"Just come in. She's in her room" Hanabi said while motioning for both him and Akamaru to come in. "That mutt of yours can tag along to, but only this time" she then pointed out to Akamaru, who simply jerked his head in confusion.

Kiba resisted the urge to strangle the teenager for calling his partner something as derogatory as a mutt. He was in the Hyuuga mansion and Hanabi was also the youngest daughter of Hiashi. If he made one move wrong, he and Akamaru would definitely get kicked out. Therefore, he had to act cool, for now.

"Follow me" Hanabi said and Kiba and Akamaru followed her without hesitation. They wandered through the long corridors and Kiba could notice that there were few people inside the mansion.

"So, where's your da…..I mean Hiashi?" Kiba said while trying to sound as respectful as possible.

"He's at the Hyuuga clan's graveyard" Hanabi said, not even bothering turning around to look at Kiba. "He's gone there to honor those who sacrificed themselves for the clan and the village. He will be gone for a while" the brown-haired teenager added to her answer.

Kiba fixed a gleeful smile at himself. "Jackpot! Just the perfect time to visit the mansion when the big boss is not around!" he then thought before facing Hanabi once again. "Well, that explains why you would let Akamaru inside the mansion. Don't worry, I won't be staying here too long" he then insisted to the young girl.

While Hanabi did not say anything in return, she did in fact form a slight smile with her mouth. This was despite being her stern self. Why she did that remains a mystery.

The three had reached the door that lead to Hinata's bedroom. However, her room was guarded of course. Three members of the Hyuuga clan were standing before her door, as if they were a well blocking entrance. These three were Ko, Hoheto and Tokuma Hyuuga. They were all surprised as they saw who was accompanying Hanabi.

"Lady Hanabi…..what is this?" Hoheto asked calmly while glancing at Kiba and Akamaru. "Why are an Inuzuka and his pet inside the mansion?" he then added while glancing sternly at Kiba and his partner.

This time, Kiba lost his cool and pointed his finger at him in return. "Excuse me? Listen pal, I'm not just an Inuzuka and Akamaru isn't my pet. I'm Hinata's teammate" the brown-haired man then answered while glancing at Hoheto.

Ko narrowed his eyes at him. "You are not welcome here. Lord Hiashi has strictly prohibited any visitors in seeing Lady Hinata" the black-haired man said before facing the teenager. "Lady Hanabi, you know the rules. If your father sees an uninvited visitor, he will explode into rage" he then told her.

"Hey!" Kiba caught the three men's attention. "I'm here on behalf of our sensei: Kurenai Yuhi. She sent me to only talk with Hinata and see what her problems were. I've nothing against you" he pointed out to them all.

Both Ko and Hoheto did not welcome the tone in Kiba's voice. In fact, they were about to make a move on him physically. But something stopped them from doing this. There were two things actually. Hanabi stood before Kiba while Tokuma used his arms to block his fellow clansmen from confronting the Inuzuka. The brown-haired Hyuuga glanced at the two with slight disapproving eyes.

"We all know how Lady Hinata has been acting lately. It's fruitless of one of us tries to talk with her. We have seen that" Tokume told them before facing Kiba, eventually nodding his head weakly at him. "Very well. Because of Kurenai Yuhi sending you, we shall allow you to see Lady Hinata. The door is unlocked so you may enter. But remember, don't stay there too long. Lord Hiashi is not as forgiving as Lady Hanabi is when it comes to uninvited guests" he then told him while motioning his head at the teenage girl, who smiled in return.

Kiba fixed a slight grin at the three Hyuugas as they moved aside to give him free way to the door. The brown-haired man then stepped forward while Akamaru tagged along. He lowly knocked on the door, before opening the door, thus entering.

As Kiba and Akamaru stood there, they could see that Hinata was sitting on her bed sobbing lowly with her hands on her face. The windows at her bed had white curtains, yet they gave light to the room. Kiba had noticed that Hinata had not even taken off her hands to see who had just entered. Therefore, he decided to speak up. Hinata was wearing a light lavender, sleeveless kimono-style blouse with vertical lines, tied with a dark purple obi around her waist. She also wore a pair of short dark navy shorts with thigh-high stockings and had changed her regular ninja sandals to black high-heeled boots.

"Hey…Hinata" Kiba said to her in his normal voice.

Hinata immediately stopped sobbing and moved her hands to see who had just entered her bedroom. The bluenette was both stunned and slightly happy to see who it was. "Kiba…Akamaru…." Hinata said in surprise. Her stunned expression soon turned into that of a smile. "I….I thought that it was either my father or Hanabi entering…..but it's you" she then said, not expecting to see them in her bedroom. "How did you get inside? Father has prohibited anyone from ever seeing me" she then asked her teammate as Kiba approached her bed and took a seat beside her with Akamaru lying on the ground before them.

"Well, your sister answered the door and I told her that Kurenai-sensei sent me. She then let me in. Those three guards outside your room also granted me permission to enter after I told you I was here by Kurenai's request" the brown-haired man answered, before he fixed a slight frown with his mouth. "But listen, I also came here by my own merit. Me and Kurenai have been concerned about you lately. Are you feeling okay, Hinata?" Kiba then said while asking her.

The young bluenette immediately felt a tint of embarrassment as she heard what Kiba just asked her. "Oh…..I'm sorry that I haven't talked much to either of you. I haven't felt so good for the last months" she then admitted to him.

"You don't say" Kiba remarked as he listened to what Hinata told him. "But I just want ya to know that whenever you feel sad or lonely…...you can always come to me" he then said, although he snapped as he felt he said something wrong. "By that I mean…..talking, of course" Kiba added while scratching behind his neck with a goofy grin.

But the brown-haired man with the faded goatee could see that his teammate felt somewhat downed and Kiba knew that he would have to be more drastic with this kind of approach. However, Hinata suddenly faced him with a slight smile.

"I have fully respect for Naruto and Sakura. They both look happy together" Hinata said before she faced the floor with shame in her eyes. "But sometimes, I wished that I was in Sakura's place and were with Naruto. But I can't do anything about it" she said sadly while she was on the verge of tears, only for Kiba to put a hand on her left shoulder, thus surprising her.

"I know. You still have feelings towards Naruto" Kiba then told her, who was somewhat surprised. Kiba smiled smugly. "There's no point in hiding it, Hinata. I know that you have always had these feelings towards him. And I bet Shino knew the same thing" the brown-haired man added before he then scowled at the mentioning of their silent teammate. "Speaking of which, you probably don't know it yet, but Shino's currently engaged" he then told her.

Hinata's bright eyes widened slightly. "Shino is…engaged? To whom?" she asked lowly, not believing what Kiba just told her.

Kiba only shrugged his shoulders. "Just some random clanmate or whatever the hell you call those. Anyway, he is engaged, but I don't know when they're marrying" the young man said while facing Hinata with a smug smile. "But enough of him, I came here to talk with you. Now about Naruto…has he ever taken notice of you?" he then asked her smugly.

This caused Hinata's cheeks to redden, yet she kept her cool and faced her teammate with a somewhat downed expression. "The truth of the matter is…...Naruto has seen me…...but more as a friend. I always felt like I could relate to him…...given that I also was a failure and a…" the young bluenette suddenly felt Kiba land his hand on her knees and he looked at him with a determined expression on his face. "Kiba….why are you….." Hinata was stunned.

"Hinata…...I don't want to hear you say something like that. You were never a failure, even from the day we were assigned on Team Kurenai" the brown-haired man told her, while Hinata only sat and listened closely. "You were never a failure. You were only a victim of your father's neglect and mental abuse. Neji was also involved in this. But you don't have to listen to what they say! They never understood the potentiality you possessed as a kunoichi" Kiba went on telling her.

The bluenette did not know what to say in return. "Kiba…you're just sounding like…Naruto right now" Hinata then admitted to him. "The way you talk….the way you say those things…..it's similar to what he does" she then added to her words.

Kiba snapped in surprise by seeing this, as he did not know whether he should appreciate or reject this comparison. "You think so?" Kiba asked her lowly, forcing Hinata to nod her head at him with a slight smile. Kiba began to chuckle nervously to himself as he heard that. "Well, I'm just speaking based upon what I've seen on the sidelines. I mean, your cousin was a great shinobi and I really respected him for what he stood for. Hell, maybe your dad isn't as bad as I've heard he is" he then said while feeling a bit whimsical as he said those words.

Hinata smiled, but frowned as she could notice something on Kiba's face. She began touching it, much to the young boy's own surprise. He never expected her to do something like this to him and he didn't speak.

"Your face…it's all red" Hinata noted with a hint of worry in her voice. "What happened to you?" she then asked him as she could see the red handprint on Kiba's face.

This forced Kiba to snap in embarrassment and he gulped. "Shit! That handprint on my entire hasn't gone away!" he thought in his head before he decided to tell Hinata, considering the fact that she was his teammate. "Well, I was in the park, chilling with Akamaru. Then I saw some ladies passing by and they looked kind of pretty. And I admit, I tried to flirt with them and ask them out on a date with me. But one of them, who turned out to be a dog-lover like myself, angrily rejected my offer. She then slapped my face so hard that I fell on the ground" the brown-haired man then told his story while feeling somewhat embarrassed to tell her this.

Hinata gasped in shock when she heard that. "That's terrible! Who in the right mind would assault you like this?" she asked him while feeling worried.

Kiba only faced her with his feral grin. "It's okay, Hinata. Apparently, some women in this village tend to not think before they do something. They have no control over their actions" he said, although the brown-haired man snapped in return by what he was just said in front of his teammate. "But that doesn't mean all women are like that. I mean, you're someone who's able to control yourself. In fact, it's better that you are this kind and gentle instead of someone as impatient as Sakura" Kiba then added, thus complimenting Hinata's persona.

The young bluenette could not believe what she just heard from her teammate. She even chuckled mischievously as she heard Kiba's comment about Sakura. However, as she heard those words, Hinata began to feel something. She did not know what it was, but it made her feel happy. In fact, she felt happy with Kiba being at her side.

Meanwhile, Kiba took notice about Akamaru sleeping on the ground, thus forcing him to chuckle smugly in return. "Heh, looks like Akamaru has already gone to bed early" he then said humorously. However, the brown-haired man felt stunned as he could feel Hinata her hands on his hands. The brown-haired man with the faded goatee was confused, yet he could see Hinata, who had a somewhat embarrassed look on her face. Even her cheeks had begun to redden slightly. "Hinata…what's the matter?" he then asked her with a slight smile.

Hinata fixed her bright eyes upon her teammate, struggling to hide the blushing on her cheeks. "Kiba…do you think I am…beautiful?" she then asked him.

Kiba's feral eyes widened in surprise as he heard what she just asked him. The brown-haired man only sweated while fixing his goofy grin. "Who am I kidding, you've always been beautiful, Hinata. You've been that ever since were put on the same team together" Kiba then told her, only to notice how redder Hinata's cheeks became. This made him confused, yet he was starting to gradually see what was going on here. "Hinata…why are you acting so…" the repulsive man was in for a surprise, as he felt his own lips being caught by Hinata's.

The bluenette did that while embracing her teammate. Kiba was too distracted by the many thoughts swirling around his head. But Hinata never let go of him, yet she did in fact end the kiss and look at Kiba with her bright eyes. The young man could feel himself getting turned on, as he had now been kissed by his own teammate. But there was something more to this. Kiba was now seeing how truly pretty and beautiful the bluenette really was, even her bright eyes. The young man held her hands around Hinata while facing her.

"Hinata…..wow….thanks for the kiss….it really felt great" Kiba then uttered lowly, his own cheeks with red markings even starting to redden as a result. "What just happened? I only came here to talk with Hinata about her problems. I never came for this. But yet…I begin to have these feelings towards her" he thought in his head, not knowing what to even think about right now.

Hinata formed a sweet smile as she faced Kiba with somewhat seductive eyes. Was this her ability to seduce him? She held her left hand at Kiba's left cheek. "Kiba…I can't help myself. Hearing all these things you have said about me…..it makes me feel appreciated…..wanted…and loved" the bluenette admitted to her teammate, who was stunned by the words that came out of her mouth. "Would you like for me to kiss you again?" she then asked him lowly. Before Kiba could even open his mouth to reply, Hinata held a finger before his mouth, thus hushing him. "Don't say anything. All you have to do is to nod your head" she then said to him.

Hearing this caused Kiba to glance at her with a raised eyebrow, yet he was not confused. He was actually amazed. He never knew that someone like Hinata were that kind of a talker. The brown-haired man nodded his head to her as a yes, and this time, Kiba was the first to make his move on Hinata. His lips caught hers and they shared this passionate moment.

The kiss went on and both Hinata playfully dragged Kiba along with her onto the bed, where they both lied and continued making out. But Kiba proceeded to start kissing Hinata's neck and cheeks and she really enjoyed this.

"Oh Kiba…..right there…kiss me" Hinata said lowly, her voice containing some hidden lust on the inside.

Eventually, it was Hinata's turn and she began kissing Kiba and began licking his throat, something which made the brown-haired man only more excited and aroused. Kiba sighed deeply and lifted her head up as he felt Hinata do her licking on him.

"Oh God…Hinata…..it feels so great!" Kiba said, eventually fixing his eyes upon the bluenette, who for some reason began to eye her with a smile. Kiba could tell that it was a seductive smile and it made him wonder why. "Hinata….what are you…" once again, Hinata hushed him with a finger.

In fact, the young bluenette moved Kiba so he was lying on his back. She then sat on the top of him, her bright eyes completely focused on the young Inuzuka. Kiba really felt turned on by seeing Hinata's sweet face looking so…..naughty. The brown-haired man was in for a surprise as he could see the bright-eyed kunoichi reach for the hem of her blouse and slowly began pulling them up.

Kiba snapped in slight disbelief. "Hold on…..why are you taking off your….." he did not know what else to say as he could see Hinata proceeding to take off her lavender blouse. She did that fast yet elegantly. She was left her upper body nearly exposed, even showing her flat yet toned stomach. However, her large, voluptuous breasts were covered by a white bra, which was big enough to cover those breasts of hers. "My god….how the hell did I get into this!? I must be dreaming!" Kiba asked in his head as he felt incredibly aroused and he could tell it by feeling it in his crotch.

Hinata faced down at the rowdy man, her mouth beginning to form a seductive smile. "You have really been such a naughty boy, Kiba. However, you really lifted my spirit and confidence. Therefore, I shall reward you something" the bluenette said and then reached one hand behind her bra and began to unbutton it, much to Kiba's own excitement. "I want you to be the first man to touch them, Kiba. I want to know that you at least appreciate for who I am. I am beginning to love you, Kiba" Hinata then added to her words as she unbuttoned the bra, yet she used her other arm to hold onto her bra-covered breasts.

Kiba's heart was pounding and blood was slowly streaming from his nose. He briefly looked to the floor and saw that Akamaru was still asleep. This made Kiba grin to himself, as he could not believe that he had finally been able to find a girl who liked him.

"I always thought that Hinata was interested in Naruto, given how much she looked up to him. But Naruto has found his tone with Sakura, so that left Hinata quite depressed and sad. Meanwhile, I….I always saw myself as a big brother type to her…..but I admit, I sometimes were interested in getting closer to Hinata…..even though I never found out a way to do so" Kiba thought in his head as he watched Hinata put on this show for him.

Before he even knew it, Hinata held her white bra in her left hand, yet her right arm was covering her voluptuous breasts. The young bluenette glanced at the bra before dropping it on the floor beside the sleeping Akamaru. "I guess I won't be needing this now" she said before facing Kiba once again, her eyes filled with lust. She was now using both of her arms to cover her breasts. "What do you think of them, Kiba? Aren't they adorable?" she then asked him sweetly.

This time, Kiba had more than enough guts to answer her and he even managed to move so that he was leaning against the bed's counter. "They're more than that, Hinata. They're fucking beautiful" he uttered, not caring about the profanity he just used.

Hearing this caused Hinata's cheeks to blush with redness and she only got more excited as she heard him complimenting her. "Keep talking to me like this, Kiba. If you do that, I think I will lose my mind because of you" the bluenette said in return. She then slowly began removing the hands from her breasts, intending on surprising Kiba with what was hidden underneath them. "Now, how about I introduce these adorable things of mine to you? Once you've been acquainted, we can begin the fun for real" she then added with lust in her voice.

Kiba laid and waited in anticipation, his feral eyes never leaving the sight of Hinata's arms vanishing. He could feel his heart beating faster as he saw that only her hands were blocking the view. He felt so much sexual urge within himself, almost like there was an animal inside of him. "When did Hinata ever become this seductive? Has she really grown up from being so conservative and insecure about herself? I think that's one of the explanations here" the brown-haired man admitted to himself while watching the breasts go away.

Kiba thought this would be the happiest day of his life, as he had finally gotten a girlfriend, a quite seductive and sexy girlfriend to be more exact. But his own world was shattered by a large slamming coming from the door. It snapped him back to reality and Hinata snapped in fear as she hid her upper torso with a pillow. She seemed quite distressed to see who was standing there.

"Hinata….why are you so…." Kiba turned to the door and his eyes snapped by seeing the one and only Hiashi Hyuuga standing there with his arms crossed. But he was not alone, as Ko, Hoheto and Tokuma were standing behind the clan head. Even Hanabi were standing there, yet she stood beside her father while facing the ground. Despite this, Kiba's eyes remained focus on the angry and furious expression of Hiashi, who had even activated his Byakugan. "Oh….shit!" Kiba cursed lowly, as he just felt like walking straight into a bomb.

"FATHER! WHY DIDN'T YOU KNOCK THE DOOR!?" Hinata loudly asked him.

"SPARE ME YOUR EXCUSES, HINATA!" Hiashi barked back, thus silencing the bluenette. He then fixed his bright eyes upon Kiba, a scowl being formed on his mouth. "YOU! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" he then demanded an answer from the young Inuzuka, who had just gotten up on his feet.

"LOOK! I WAS ONLY SENT BY KURENAI-SENSEI TO…." Kiba's words were silenced by Hiashi's angry outburst.

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT KURENAI YUHI SENT YOU HERE FOR YOU TO DO THIS TO MY DAUGHTER!?" he then angrily barked back. The long-haired man faced his daughter once again. "HINATA! YOU AND I WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS LATER!" he said before glancing at Hanabi, and the other three clansmen of the Hyuuga clan. "AND THE SAME GOES FOR YOU DAMN IMBECILES WHO LET THIS FILFTH IN!" he then said to his younger daughter and the others.

Kiba tried his best to remain cool and he did not wish to have any sort of conflict with Hiashi. "Listen, I really had any intention of…." Kiba was interrupted as Hiashi angrily grabbed him by the collar of his jacket.

"TAKE THAT FILFTHY MUTT AND GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR MANSION!" he demanded at him, and Kiba simply nodded his head at him in return. After letting go of him, Kiba and his partner quickly headed outside. However, Hiashi was not finished with his eldest daughter, who was currently sobbing once again, not because of Naruto choosing Sakura over her. It was rather about the fact that her own father had chased away the man she had now come to love. "I told you that you wouldn't been granted any visitors, Hinata" Hiashi spoke lowly, his voice no longer raised to the highest volume. "What were you thinking, having this Inuzuka bum violate you like some kind of….." Hiashi's own voice was interrupted by Hinata's.

"I HATE YOU SO MUCH, FATHER!" Hinata yelled at him, tears still streaming from her eyes. She then ran towards the opened doorway, but not before turning around to face her father with her teary eyes. She still held onto the pillow before her breasts. "YOU ACT AS IF YOU KNOW MY PAIN, BUT YOU DON'T! AND DO YOU KNOW WHY!? BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER BEEN A REAL FATHER TO ME AT ALL! YOU DIED WHEN MOTHER DIED!" Hinata yelled, before she ran out crying.

As they were alone in the room, Hiashi stood still, only to punch a hole in the wall in anger. This caused those around him to step far away from the middle-aged man, as they knew better than to try calming an angry bull like him. Hiashi gritted his teeth in anger, but as he took out his fist in the hole, he could see a picture standing nearby. The stern man's expression softened quickly, and he proceeded to hold the picture with his hands. The long-haired man slowly felt tears running from his eyes, as he could see the old picture of his family, when they were together. The picture was not just him, Hinata and Hanabi, but also his late wife and the girls' mother: Haya Hyuuga. She had Hinata's blue hair, as well as the kindness she possessed.

Hanabi and the three other Hyuugas decided to leave Hiashi alone, as the clan head was currently reminiscing about the time when things were not difficult. The famous clan head of the Hyuuga clan was now sobbing to himself.

"Haya…I have tried so hard to become the father that our daughters deserved. But yet….I still keep failing" Hiashi said, clothing the picture frame tightly. "I don't know what to do anymore, my love. Please…help me! If you were here, you would know what to do" the middle-aged man pleaded for help

* * *

 _Back in the park_

Since being kicked out of the Hyuuga mansion, Kiba and Akamaru had returned to the park, yet Kiba had chosen to go into the forest. He leaned against a tree while panting deeply. Akamaru only watched his partner with worry, wondering if Kiba had managed to get into trouble for real now. Eventually, the brown-haired man fell onto his behind, his back still against the tree.

"Kiba Inuzuka…..what the hell have you done…" the man with the faded goatee asked to himself as he recalled what had just transpired at the mansion. He then glanced at Akamaru. "Fuck! Now I'm definitely screwed, Akamaru! I'll be in so much trouble when mom finds out about this! Why did I ever allow myself to be taken by this lust!?" he then wondered while resting his face on his handpalms.

However, there was something he did recall happen during his intimate time with Hinata. In fact, the brown-haired man looked at the bench where he had previously been trying to woo some ladies to his side, only for him to fail miserably. Being reminded about this caused Kiba's stress to calm down and him to actually smile.

"You know something…Akamaru?" Kiba asked his partner, who only jerked his head in return. "I think….I may have to stop wooing these violent girls now. Because I already have someone who cares about me" the brown-haired man admitted to himself, starting to not feeling guilty about having this intimate moment with Hinata.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: And there you have it! This chapter was mostly focused on Kiba and Hinata, as well as their lemon. We also saw Sasuke joining this new Shadow Squad of the ANBU Black Ops. We will get back to him in a minute. But first, I would like to write on Naruto and Sakura in the next chapter, along with Lee and Tenten and Shikamaru and Temari. However, I am open to tell more about the couples. I don't want this story to be like Desperate Housewives. Anyway, stay tuned and thank you for reading. NOTE: And yes, Hinata and Hanabi's mother is named Haya in this story. She only appears in filler arcs I believe.**


	3. How You Remind Me

**Author's note: This chapter will tell us about Naruto & Sakura, as well as Lee and Tenten. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you not to read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: How You Remind Me**

 _In the park, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

While Kiba was secretly hiding in the bushes, muttering about how he didn't get how Naruto was such a bigshot, the blonde-haired man was currently walking the park alongside Sakura. She wore her sleeveless red qipao dress that reached her upper thighs with white trimmings and black shorts underneath the dress, black gloves, and grey elbow and knee protectors. In addition to that, she also wore a red headband on her head instead of a forehead-protector and regular black sandals that reached to her knees on her feet.

The two jounins were currently on a form of date, although it was uncertain whether it could be called as such. As they walked on the path, they did overhear some of the nearby women whisper amongst themselves.

In fact, Sakura even formed a smug smile as she overheard that at least one of them was jealous of her. She faced the blonde-haired man with a smile. "You're really popular with the ladies" Sakura noted to him in a teasing manner.

The blonde-haired man simply snapped in return and only chuckled nervously. He understood what Sakura was trying to get at. "Heh, I take it that Grandma Tsunade is also included in that category. Well, everyone deserves to have someone to look up to" he said with a hint of humor in his voice.

Sakura had to laugh at his statement. She then wanted to know something more from Naruto. "Speaking someone to look to, is Sasuke at the Hokage Tower?" she then asked him, forcing Naruto to nod his head as a yes. "I see. I am confident that Lady Tsunade will be willing to give Sasuke a chance at redemption. But I know trust will be hard to earn" the pinkette remarked to Naruto.

Naruto only put a hand on Sakura's shoulder and looked at her with a reassuring grin. "Don't panic, Sakura. Sasuke himself said to me that he was willing to do whatever the Leaf Village asked of him…...except for killing that is" the blonde-haired man spoke up. "And besides, he did take the initiative to reconnect with Team Asuma, especially Ino. You saw how different the way they conversed with each other than have done in the past, right?" he then asked her smugly. This was an attempt to tease Sakura, as she and Ino were still the same rivals who competed to be the best kunoichi in the Leaf Village.

Sakura only grumbled as she heard this, yet she was not through with teasing her boyfriend just yet. Therefore, she decided to keep it up on Naruto. "How was your trip to the kindergarten? I bet those kids were happy and curious to see you visiting them" the pinkette teasingly asked him.

Naruto only facepalmed as he heard that. "Don't even go there, Sakura. Being attacked by children in diapers sure is a handful" the blonde-haired man admitted while scratching the back of his head. "But not all those kids were bad. Heck, I even got to see Iruka-sensei's little boy…...he was probably the coolest…...and the only one I could identify…...apart from Anko's girl and Ibiki's boy, that is" he then said, even forming a smile as he said that.

"Children sure are cute when they're little" Sakura told him, much to Naruto's slight embarrassment. But she frowned as she was reminded about something. "Speaking of Anko's daughter…..is Kakashi-sensei really….." she spoke up and Naruto stopped in his tracks, forcing Sakura to do the same thing.

The blonde-haired man simply faced Sakura with his usual mature glance. He took a deep breath before speaking up, while the pinkette only stood and watched him with widened eyes. Naruto nodded while closing his eyes. Sakura gasped.

"He recently took a paternity test at the request of Anko…and his DNA matched with the girl's" Naruto said lowly as he then faced his girlfriend with a slight serious expression on his face. "But Sakura, this information is something that not even Grandma Tsunade wants us to know. Kakashi-sensei himself was kind enough to let us in on his little secret. There are so many things that we can disagree with him on his current plans. But after all the trouble he has been through…..he deserves some time to reflect on himself. All these years, he has always busted his butt to help each of us when we were lost and needed guidance. Now sensei needs to help himself" Naruto then went on telling her while making sure nobody was watching them.

After hearing his explanation, Sakura eventually formed a slight smile. She even nodded at his statement. "Right. Now that you mention it, it is probably the right thing to do at the moment. We'll leave everything to Kakashi-sensei" the pinkette said and proceeded to move on. But Naruto stood still and simply watched as Sakura walked with a hint of amazement in his eyes. His girlfriend took notice of this and looked over her left shoulder. "Are you coming, Naruto?" she then asked him.

To her surprise, Naruto began to laugh at this with a cheeky grin and Sakura did not understand why he did that. But he did walk up to her and hold around her waist, which even surprised Sakura more. "Ah Sakura, I sometimes love it when you agree with me on certain things" the blonde-haired man told her.

Sakura only raised an eyebrow in return. But she soon formed a smirk with her mouth and even teased him by pulling down his black forehead-protector so that his eyes were blinded. She giggled as he watched him being blinded.

"Hey, what's the big idea? I only said something positive about you" Naruto told her while pulling up his forehead-protector. She now looked at him with a n innocent expression, forcing Naruto to slump his face. "Always so smug" he noted to himself.

The pinkette only put her hands on her hips while facing the blonde-haired man smugly. "Oh yeah? How about you pull on something similar with me?" she then began taunting him, only for Sakura to notice that Naruto was looking kind of stunned as he slowly approached her. "Naruto…what are you…." She uttered out in confusion.

Naruto pointed his finger around Sakura and smiled. "Look over there, Sakura. There's some nice flowers for you to have!" he told her.

Sakura immediately turned around and bent over, only for her to see nothing but bushes. She was confused. "What? Are you saying that there are flowers in those….." Sakura suddenly snapped as she could feel a hard slap on her butt. The pinkette got furious and turned around to face Naruto, who was fixing an innocent look on his face. "Hey! What did you do that for!?" she asked, only for Naruto to burst out into laughter.

"Ha! I got back at you, Sakura! Since you pulled down my forehead-protector, I playfully slapped your…" the blonde-haired man was punched on his face by Sakura and he was sent flying. Naruto landed on a tree and only stared at him with eyes of fear. "Sakura….what the….." he uttered out in shock.

Even now, Sakura was clenching her right fists in anger while her eyes were focused upon Naruto. "I only pulled down your headband. YOU on the other hand, slapped my butt! Do you see how different those two are from each other!?" she then asked him, as Naruto was sweating a little. But the pinkette's angry expression soon changed into that of a seductiveness. It confused and surprised the blonde-haired man at the same time. "But on second thought, you do think my ass is sexy, don't you?" she then asked him out in the open, trying to flirt with him.

Naruto's cheeks began redden and he gulped as he got up to his feet. "Hold on, let's not take this dirty talk out here, Sakura. There is something called privacy, remember?" the blonde-haired man told her, only to see Sakura walk towards him seductively, even going as far as to sway her hips. Seeing his girlfriend trying to tease him almost made Naruto nosebleed, yet he tried his best to hide it. "Damn it! Why do I always fall for Sakura's feminine charms?" he wondered as he tried not to surrender to his arousal. The pinkette could see this and laughed at Naruto.

"Ha! I got back at you now, Naruto. I always know that you can't resist my charms" she then said and helped Naruto up on his feet. The blonde-haired man was stunned but at the same time embarrassed over being fooled by Sakura once again. The pinkette smiled sweetly at him. "Aww, I shouldn't have done that. Now let me make it up to you with his" she said and before Naruto knew it, his lips were caught by Sakura's.

Fortunately, the two jounins were now alone in the park, so there were no one watching them the kiss was quick but passionate. As they ended the kiss, Naruto faced Sakura with his usual cocky grin. "Well, where to now?" he then asked her.

Sakura began to ponder, yet she suddenly took Naruto's hand and lead him. "I know! We'll go and see what Lee is up to" she then told him.

Naruto simply nodded his head at her as a yes. He began pondering about where he had last seen him. "If I remember correctly, Lee was somewhere near Tenten's weapon shop" he then told her.

"Then we're heading towards Tenten's weapon shop" Sakura exclaimed with so much enthusiasm that it even astounded Naruto.

* * *

 _At the gates of the Leaf Village_

Since the rebuilding of the Leaf Village, the gates remained as imposing and strong as ever. Its walls protected the village from whatever threats that remained on the outside world, even though the most serious of them were long gone.

Right now, Shikamaru Nara was now standing at the gates conversing with Chouji Akimichi and Ino Yamanaka. The young man with the ponytail was apparently waiting for someone to join his delegation to the Sand Village. The journey would certainly be safe, yet traveling groups were often the targets of thieves and bandits. Even so, Shikamaru was more than capable of handling himself against a band of ruffians.

"So Sasuke's joining the Shadow Squad?" Chouji asked his longtime friend, who simply nodded with little enthusiasm. "Man, talk about helping the village from the shadows. From what I've heard, that squad is quite reclusive among the branches of the ANBU Black Ops" the chubby man with short messy brown hair remarked.

"Honestly I could care less what happens to him, no offense" Shikamaru admitted, but then decided to say something else to his teammates. "But look, you two. I know that you have decided to give Sasuke a chance and I respect that. But for me, it's like trusting a fox to guard the chicken coop" Shikamaru told them.

"Don't worry, Shikamaru. He won't be doing such things ever again" Ino insisted while she suddenly banged her fists together and formed a cocky smirk. "Especially since I'm in the Interrogation Squad! I will keep him in check and make sure he sticks to the verdict he received!" the blondie said with determination in her voice.

Shikamaru only raised an eyebrow at this, while Chouji could not help but to find this amusing. "I swear, you're beginning to sound like his jailor, Ino" the chubby man told her.

Ino faced him with a slight frown. "I'm simply taking my role as a member in the Interrogation Squad seriously, Chouji" she told him while she thought about something. "We were charged with guarding Sasuke during his hospitalization. During that time, Captain Ibiki constantly reminded me to never fall victim to his spells" she recalled a meeting she had once with the squad's captain: Ibiki Morino. The blue-eyed woman then faced the ground to reflect on what was being said. "I hate to disagree with my captain, but Sasuke has never used any spells on me to make me have feelings for him. This is something I have been carrying with me since I was a little girl. I will bloom…..both in battle and in peace" Ino then said while clenching her fists.

Both of her teammates were surprised to see how confident Ino was behaving right now. In fact, Shikamaru even started to chuckle lightly and Chouji soon joined in. Ino simply put her arms on her hips while glancing at them with a raised eyebrow.

"What's so funny all of a sudden?" she then asked them.

Shikamaru then stopped and put a cigarette in his mouth. "I don't know. But listening to your declaration kind of reminded me about Asuma-sensei" the man with the ponytail admitted before igniting the cigarette. He was referring to their late teacher, who died during a battle against two members of the Akatsuki.

"Same here" Chouji spoke up, resisting the urge to chuckle once again.

Ino simply responded by crossing her arms at them. "Honestly, I really don't get what me and him have in common. I mean, you and him smoked cigarettes" the blondie pointed out to Shikamaru smoking.

Shikamaru only slumped his face in return. "Really Ino? That's the best you can come up with?" he asked her in return before puffing out some smoke. "Frankly, I don't see myself as much of similar to him" the man with the ponytail remarked.

The blondie simply stared at him smugly. "Oh yeah? What about shogi?" she then asked him.

This made the young man snap at her in return. "Hey! Playing shogi was something I had done since I was a little kid. I got introduced to it by my dad way before Asuma-sensei challenged me to play with him" Shikamaru boasted, only for Ino to giggle. Seeing this caused Shikamaru to sigh in annoyance. "What a drag this is" he muttered lowly.

"All this talk of yours almost made me forgot what I wanted to speak to you about" Chouji told his friends, who watched him with surprised glances. For some reason, the chubby man felt somewhat nervous and both Shikamaru and Ino could see it based upon the expression on his face. "I hate to say this now…..but I think I've found a girlfriend" he then revealed.

Both his friends gasped and Shikamaru even dropped the cigarette hanging on his mouth. "What are you saying?" he asked Chouji.

Chouji was feeling very confident himself and he even held out a picture for them to see. His teammates were stunned as they could see Chouji and a black-haired woman sitting by a table with so many food lying before them. From what they could tell, Chouji and this woman seemed to be pretty happy together.

"Who's that?" Ino asked as she got a closer look at the woman.

"This is Sanae. She's a kunoichi of the Hidden Stone Village" Chouji told them while having his cheeks reddened. "We met during the war and since then, we kept in touch with each other by writing letters and going out on trips together" the chubby man told them.

Shikamaru couldn't help but to smirk. "Heh, so that's why you were gone for a week in that resort you were visiting?" the man with the ponytail asked while glancing at Chouji smugly. "You must be one lucky guy, Chouji" he told him.

But Shikamaru's attention was soon focused on three shinobis dressed in the new jounins vests of the Leaf Village. He smirked as he saw who they were. These three were Aoshi Yamashiro, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki. The man with the ponytail approached them and crossed his arms.

"You guys are late" he said with a smug manner at the three.

Aoshi only adjusted his sunglasses. "It could not be helped. We had to take care of some business with Lady Tsunade. That is why we were…" the man with the sunglasses was interrupted by Kotetsu speaking.

"Actually, Aoshi needed to drop off his kid at his mom's, so we were kind of delayed" Kotetsu told him smugly, while Izumo snickered behind his back.

Aoshi snapped in anger. "Damn it, I told you guys to keep this between ourselves!" he snapped them, yet could notice Shikamaru still glancing at him. It forced the man with sunglasses to compose himself. "Sorry. And yes, I had to drop off my son Tadeshi to his mom. We had an argument as usual, so it took some time. And now here we are" Aoshi then told Shikamaru, who could not help but to chuckle in return.

"Figures" Shikamaru said while shrugging his shoulders. "Anyway, are you three ready to depart for the Sand Village? The journey through the Land of Rivers won't be harsh. But the Land of Wind on the other hand will be for sure" he then told the three as they nodded their heads.

"If we're fast, we might be able to make it to the Land of Wind by night. However, we should take caution whether to continue moving through the desert at night. Who knows when a sandstorm will take place" Kotetsu suggested to his comrades.

Shikamaru only took a glance at his teammates with a smile. "Well, we're leaving now. I'll see you guys in a couple of days" he told Chouji and Ino before vanishing from the scene, alongside the three jounins. They ran towards the woods, where they eventually began jumping from branch to branch.

As they left, Ino watched Chouji with a smile. "Well, I best head back to the flower shop. My break's almost over. Are you busy with anything?" she then asked him.

Chouji nodded his head in return. "Well, I'm off to the Academy to have a lesson, actually. Iruka-sensei wanted me to have some kind of presentation about the Akimichi clan and its abilities. I best head there before I'm too late. See you around" the chubby man said while waving Ino goodbye before taking his leave.

Ino did he same thing and she headed back to the flower shop. As she kept walking, she couldn't help but to wonder about what kind of missions Sasuke would be assigned on, given the fact he was in the Shadow Squad. But it was too early to conclude. Hopefully, Ino would find out more when the Interrogation Squad needed her services again.

* * *

 _Outside Tenten's weapon shop_

Inside a weapon shop sat Tenten. The young woman had her hair buns braided and held together by a short plait that fell just below her shoulders. Her style of clothes had also changed since the end of the war. Tenten wore a white sleeveless, high-collared qipao dress with red trimmings and a pink flame pattern on the left, tied with a maroon obi. Underneath, she had fishnet leg stockings and black high-heeled boots. She no longer wore her gloves and forehead-protector. Instead, she wore a pair of black scrolls around her wrists like bangles, and had two scrolls in the color of green and light grey strapped on her lower back.

Tenten sighed as she leant on the counter in boredom. "Another day, another boring day" she noted while seeing that there were no customers at her shop today. "It's hard to get customers when there is peace in the world. Fewer people want weapons" she added while complaining.

"Don't be silly, Tenten! A good shopkeeper should always hold her head up high!" the voice came from Rock Lee, Tenten's goofy but good-hearted teammate and boyfriend. Even as the war had ended, Lee still possessed the hairstyle he had in honor of their late teacher, Might Guy. As usual, he was always dressed in green to symbolize his nickname as the Green Beast of the Leaf. Right now, Lee was helping out Tenten in the shop and he was currently climbing up a ladder while carrying a box. "You will eventually get customers. I mean, the Academy could have use for weapons" he told her while climbing up.

Tenten still head her face onto the counter. "Are you kidding me? Lee, you know that the rules has changed since the end of the…." as Tenten looked to her left side and saw what Lee was doing, she slightly snapped in fear. "Lee! What are you doing!?" she asked him as she saw him with the box.

Lee turned around and smiled down at her. "Helping you with putting the weapons at their places. Carrying this box is a piece of cake to me" the man with the thick eyebrows told her while climbing up.

Tenten quickly left the counter and ran up to the ladder. "Lee, I told you to just pick a weapon from the box and then climb up the ladder to put it on its place! I never said anything about carrying the whole box with you!" the brunette told her while pointing her finger at the box. "Careful with that box! There are maces and spiked clubs in it!" she then added, feeling very worried about Lee tipping off and lose the box.

"You worry too much, Tenten. Let me show you how it's….UAAAAHHH!" he said as he accidentally tripped and fell of the ladder, thus throwing the box of weapons in the air. Tenten was freaking out as Lee almost landed on her, only for him to land a few feet before her. But this was not over.

"LOOK OUT!" Tenten yelled as the weapons that was in the box had gotten out and were falling straight towards their location. The brunette pulled Lee away as fast as he could, right before the weapons landed on the ground. Many of them had made a hole on the floor and it caused Tenten to gasp in fear.

Luckily, they had both survived getting rained upon by the weapons and Lee breathed out a sigh of relief. "Wow…..that was close" Lee admitted, only for Tenten to angrily bang her fist on his head, much to Lee's agony. "OUCH! WHAT DID YOU THAT FOR, TENTEN!?" he asked out loud while rubbing the bump on his head.

"I DID IT BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPIDIDTY!" Tenten snapped in irritation, but she eventually composed herself as she looked at the damage. "Now see what you have done. There's a giant hole on the floor! I take it all the weapons fell down through it" she noted while assessing the damage.

Despite seeing this, Lee still felt positive with energy. "Then that means they fell into the sewer. I can just jump down there and…" Lee was pulled back by Tenten gripping his elbow firmly and she glanced at him while shaking her head.

"Oh no, you don't! You have done enough shenanigans for today, Lee" Tenten told him, only to be interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Turning around, she saw Naruto and Sakura enter the shop. Despite her mood, Tenten fixed a positive smile on her face and welcomed them. "Ah, Naruto, Sakura. Welcome" she told them as she and Lee greeted.

Naruto and Sakura greeted them in return. "Hey there, Tenten. Bushy Brows. Glad to see ya" Naruto said but he and Sakura could spot the hole in the ground behind Lee and Tenten and it made them stunned. "Woah, what happened there?" Naruto asked them while pointing his finger at the hole.

Tenten slumped her face in annoyance and pointed her thumb at Lee, who only chuckled nervously in return. The man dressed in green simply scratched the back of his neck. "Well, let's just say that I had a little accident while helping out in the shop" Lee told them.

"Accident? More like a near-death experience!" Tenten snapped at him, not believing what Lee just said. She let out a deep sigh before facing the couple. "Anyway, just watch your step for now. I'm gonna take care of this later" she then told the visitors.

"Anyway, what brings you two here?" Lee suddenly asked them as cheerful as ever. "Have you come here to buy something, perhaps?" he then added with another question.

Sakura shook her head as a no. "Not necessarily, Lee. We just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing" the pinkette told them with a smile on her own.

Naruto's face sweated while hearing her words. "Well, maybe we arrived at a bad…" his mouth was covered by Sakura's left hand, thus preventing him from speaking any further.

Tenten sighed as she heard this. "You don't have to censor him, Sakura. He has a point" she told the pinkette, who eyed her with a raised eyebrow. She removed her hand from Naruto. "Lately, business has gone so bad. I mean, my shop doesn't get that much customers due to this world currently being peaceful" the brunette added to her frustrations

"Come on, it can't be that bad" Naruto tried to encourage her and suddenly nudged Sakura. "I'm sure Sakura would love to buy a weapon just to have in self-defense, right?" the then faced his girlfriend while giving him a wink.

Sakura was stunned as she heard what was being said. In fact, her cheeks even began to blush. The pinkette faced Lee and Tenten, fixing a polite smile while nodding at them. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Naruto. But I have to decline your…." The young woman was suddenly held onto by Tenten, who watched her pleadingly.

"Please buy at least one weapon from us! I'll even lower the prize!" the brunette begged of her, much to Sakura's own embarrassment.

Both Lee and Naruto were amused by seeing this and the two men decided to go look for a weapon. "Well, I think Sakura could definitely use a weapon. I would really love to be paying you, but I'm broke as a result of an incident at a steakhouse yesterday" the blonde-haired man said while moping while mentioning the fact that he was broke.

"Broke again? Gee Naruto, you really know how to waste money" Lee said while chuckling lightly as he heard Naruto's explanation.

Hearing this only caused Naruto to slump his head in defeat. "Just shut up, Bushy Brows" he muttered as he heard Lee having amusement in this.

Lee stopped laughing and then decided to change the subject to something else. "Anyway, I'm surprised to see you and Sakura visiting here. Aren't you both busy, especially you who work alongside Lady Tsunade?" the black-haired man asked Naruto.

"Well, because I have spent so many weeks at her office, I was given a day-off. But I had to visit the kindergarten though" Naruto replied while swiping off the sweat on his forehead. "Administrating is harder than I thought. But eventually, I will see the merits of possessing some skills in it. If I'm gonna be Hokage, then I gotta mature to be a Hokage" the blonde-haired man added with a confidential smile on his face.

Lee simply gave Naruto a thumb gesture in return. True, these two had many similarities as young children, given that they were laughing stocks in their respective classes. This had lead both Naruto and Lee to develop a friendly rivalry. Even as young adults, the two would sometimes spar with one another just for the fun of it.

"So, would you like to take a look at the weapons?" Lee asked his friend who simply nodded his head as a yes in return.

"Sure, why not? I bet Sakura would love to have a club or some sort" the blonde-haired man said as he browsed through the weapons. Lee did the same thing.

Meanwhile, Tenten and Sakura were having their own talk in Tenten's own room. Therefore, they could be given some privacy from the boys. Tenten wanted to ask Sakura about something and the pinkette was more than willing to listen. The brunette faced her with a smug smile. "So have you and Naruto ever slept in the same bed together?" she then asked her.

Hearing this caused Sakura to snap in return. "What kind of question is that, Tenten!? That's way too personal for me to even answer!" she spat at her, but immediately calmed herself. Sakura shook her head as a no. "But the answer to your question is no, we haven't. Not yet" she said while smiling lightly.

Tenten continued to smile smugly. "Well, isn't it about time that you two moved on to that part?" the brunette continued to ask her. "I mean, you two have been dating for half a year now" Tenten added to her question.

Sakura simply crossed her arms while staring at Tenten with questionable eyes. "Since when did you become so obsessed with my sexual life?" Sakura asked her friend while hinting to dissatisfaction in her voice. "I swear, you're starting to sound like Ino right now" the pinkette added to her statement.

Seeing this caused Tenten to admit how inappropriate she was acting and she faced the floor. "You're right. I'm sorry Sakura" the brunette apologized, forcing Sakura to smile at her sweetly in return. She then made sure that there was now one listening to them. She leaned closer and began to whisper something. "Sakura….I have to tell you something" Tenten revealed to her.

Sakura's emerald eyes widened in surprise. The fact that her friend was now whispering only made it sound more interesting. Sakura nodded her head. "Okay, what is it?" she then asked Tenten while whispering in the same volume.

The brunette could not help but to feel slightly let down as she was about to say this and Sakura had taken notice of how disappointed she looked. Tenten swallowed before facing her friend. "Sakura…..I just can't take it anymore. I'm tired of Lee and his stupid antics. I plan on ending this relationship" she told Sakura while making sure it was low so that no one except the two women could hear it.

Sakura gasped at her statement finding it to be unbelievable. "Tenten…..what are you saying?" the pinkette asked her friend in disbelief. "You plan on ending the relationship with Lee? But you two have been so many things through together" she added to her statement.

"You misunderstand" Tenten told her, looking kind of disappointed as she said those words. "I just want the relationship between us to go back as friends, not as…you know, boyfriend and girlfriend" she insisted to Sakura.

"No, I haven't misunderstood you. I know you wish to remain friends with Lee" Sakura said to her in return. "But if you come to him and say things between you are over, do you think he will still remain friends with you?" she then asked her friend, who let out a deep sigh in frustration.

"I know! I'm stuck at a crossroad. But the reason I say this is because I'm fed up with Lee and his immaturity. I'm usually the one stuck up cleaning the mess he has made everywhere we go" Tenten said to Sakura. "I have been too passive on that guy. After the war, as well the sacrifices Neji and Guy-sensei made, I hoped that Lee would at least change into someone more mature and reasonable. But he has not done that. I have asked him about it many times and he keeps insisting he will change. He has not kept those promises" the brunette said, starting to feel a little sad in herself.

Sakura smiled sadly and put a hand on Tenten's left shoulder. "Come on, Tenten. Lee is Lee. It's the same with me and Naruto. Sure, he can be very stupid sometimes, but I really like the man he has changed into" the pinkette said in return while thinking about Naruto's growth.

"You can't even compare Lee to Naruto" Tenten spoke up, forcing Sakura to raise an eyebrow. "Naruto may be a goofball, but he has at least matured over the years, especially since the aftermath of the war. Lee on the other hand, has not" she added to her explanation.

Sakura frowned as she heard this, yet she had to find something to cheer Tenten up. "You just gotta give him a chance, Tenten. I did the same thing with Naruto. Yes, it took some time for me to wanna go out with him, but I managed to fall or his charms he had achieved as an adult. I bet the same thing can happen between you and Lee" the pinkette insisted to the brunette.

Listening to this, Tenten could not help but to form a smile in return. She had to admit that there was some level of truth in what Sakura just told her. Maybe, she just had to be patient and see whether Lee would change or not. Tenten nodded her head at her friend.

"Okay. I will suck it up and give Lee a chance to correct his mistakes. However, I'm almost at my limit. He better not let me down" the brunette told Sakura, who giggled. She found Tenten's words to be amusing.

Meanwhile, the boys were browsing through the various weapons that lied right before them. In fact, Naruto started to get a little bit interested in the weapons. He picked up one and began studying it with curious eyes. Right now, he was holding up a katana and it seemed quite sharp, similar to those used by samurais.

"Man, talk about an arsenal. Where does Tenten buy these weapons?" Naruto quizzed Lee, who currently held onto a nunchaku.

Lee faced him and smiled. "Honestly, I have little clue about where she gets weapons like that katana. But the majority of weapons she sells are hers originally" the black-haired man answered while starting to play with the nunchaku. "However, this nunchaku here is mine. I sometimes play with it outside the shop to lure customers inside and buy something. Works good for advertising" Lee revealed to him while continuing to play with the nunchaku.

Naruto raised an eyebrow in return. "Umm…..maybe it's not such a good idea in playing with a nunchaku inside, Lee" the blonde-haired man told him.

"Why? I'm a professional in this, Naruto! There's no way that anything could possibly go….." Lee suddenly lost his grip on the nunchaku and it was sent flying straight towards the wall. The nunchaku hitting the wall caused a hole to be made and it snapped both men. "….wrong" Lee finally added to his statement, even sweating with unease as he knew who would be angry.

Both their girlfriends ran out to see what the noise was all about. "Naruto, Lee! What happened!?" Sakura asked shocked, but paused as she could see the hole in the wall.

Meanwhile, Tenten was fuming with anger. The brunette's fiery eyes were focused on Lee, who tried to sneak away, only for him to snap as he felt like being watched. The black-haired man turned around and fixed a nervous glance upon Tenten, who was still furious with him.

"Hey there, Tenten! I was on my way out to find a repairman to fix the hole in the wall and…" Lee was interrupted by Tenten's angry shout.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" she snapped in anger while holding one of her weapon scrolls in her hands. "YOU'RE DEAD MEAT, LEE!" the brunette added to her anger, forcing Lee to immediately run out of the shop and into the streets. He was screaming in fear as he ran for his life. But Tenten still pursued him despite Lee's incredible speed. "COME BACK HERE, YOU LOUSY BUM!" she yelled back as she chased him.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura only stood and watched with raised eyebrows as they saw the couple running through the streets. But Naruto could not help but to laugh by what he was seeing and soon, Sakura joined him. They found the chasing between Tenten and Lee to be funny.

"Wow, Lee sure is lucky to have his girlfriend chasing him" Naruto remarked.

Sakura glanced at him questionably. "What? Would you like if I did the same with you?" she asked him while feeling kind of offended.

Naruto chuckled in return. "Relax, I was just being sarcastic" the blonde-haired man said while putting and arm around Sakura, who happily accepted it. He faced her with his smug grin. "Well, where to now?" he then asked once again.

Sakura dropped a sweat as she heard him. "You just said that a couple of hours ago" she told him sternly. However, she quickly forced a sweet smile. "I think I want to go home now. Do you wanna walk me home?" she then asked him.

"Sure. But can I come inside?" he then said while fixing a smug glance at his girlfriend. "I haven't been to your home for a while" he added to his statement.

Sakura only giggled as she heard this and then took Naruto's hand and dragged him along the way. "Sure, silly. Just try to keep up with me. I would like to see if you're still as active as you used to be" she then said while giving him a teasing wink before running.

Naruto only shrugged his shoulders and followed Sakura as fast as she could. "You won't beat me in this, Sakura. That I can prove to you" he said as he started to ran beside Sakura and eventually past her, only for Sakura to catch up to him. The two then began this race to her home, finding this very entertaining and fun at the same time.

* * *

 _Later, outside the Inuzuka_

Kiba Inuzuka and his trusty partner Akamaru had just returned home after their very unusual day. This was not just their stay at the park, but also the visit to the Hyuuga mansion, in hopes of seeing how Hinata was doing. But Kiba was in for more than he had bargained for. While he succeeded in having a good conversation with the blunette as close teammates, something else happened between them. A passionate kissing had been exchanged between those two and Kiba was even stunned to have witnessed Hinata's seductive personality. Not only had they kissed. Hinata had almost showed him her breasts. All of this indicated to Kiba that had Hiashi not disturbed them, they would probably be having….sex.

"Man…I know that it may sound kind of pervy of me, Akamaru. But I think I am very attracted to Hinata now" the brown-haired man told his dog partner, who only watched him with a confused face. The white-furred dog could not help but to feel worried about him as well, and Kiba could see that on his face. "Look, buddy. What happened over there is between me and you. Mom, Hana and the others doesn't need to know…but they will eventually" Kiba said with a moped face at the end of his sentence.

True, since Hiashi had seen this, he would without a doubt come after him and the rest of the Inuzuka clan. And more importantly, he would probably tell Kurenai about this as well. Thinking about the consequences only made Kiba grit his feral teeth in frustration.

"Damn it! I came there to cheer Hinata up! I never asked for something like this!" Kiba boasted, only for him to rethink about what he just said. He looked down and sighed deeply. "But instead of making Hinata stop…I went along with it…..because it felt desirable and satisfying to me" the rowdy man with the goatee admitted, as he had actually fallen for Hinata's beauty and attractiveness. "God…..I never thought that I would ever get this chance of being so close to Hinata….but today…it happened" he then noted as he and Akamaru approached the door to the Inuzuka home.

Before opening the door, Kiba took a deep breath and made sure he was prepared to pretend that nothing happened, just while being around his family. Hopefully, none of them would suspect anything from him. With enough confidence, Kiba opened the door slowly and went inside.

As he was inside the Inuzuka home, he could see that there were no one to be seen in the hallway at least. He and Akamaru didn't see any of the clan's dogs. Sighing with relief, Kiba and his partner walked straight towards their room. However, as they passed the opened door to the living room, they were stopped.

"Hey Kiba. Welcome home" the kind and gentle voice came from his older sister: Hana Inuzuka. The brown-haired woman with ponytail was sitting on the couch watching some television. Her three canine companions: the Haimura Brothers, were lying beside her and snuggling to themselves. Hana began facing her younger brother with a sweet smile. "Did you find your date?" she then asked him smugly.

Kiba snapped when hearing this and he wanted to shout back at her. But the young man restrained his anger and took a deep breath. He knew what he had to come up. "No…..once again they rejected me and told me to stay away. Life is a cruel bitch" Kiba answered in return.

Hana simply rolled her eyes as she heard him. "Uh huh, you don't say" she noted with a hint of boredom in her voice. True, Hana knew about her younger brother's many attempts to find himself a date. Her advice to him was quite similar to the one Kurenai had been telling him: being patient. But Kiba was not that type of guy to be patient. "Speaking of which, I met Kurenai-sensei and her boy on the way home from work. She told me that you had gone off to visit Hinata. How did that go?" she then asked him as if she was curious.

Kiba, who was just about to keep moving, snapped as he heard that question. To him, it was almost as if the wall that was hiding his secrets had crumbled. He had not expected this to come out of Hana's mouth, as Kiba didn't wanna bring up that visit to Hinata now. The young man sweated in return, yet he possessed enough guts to face his older sister, who remained curious about him.

"Kiba…..are you okay?" Hana then asked him, noticing how slow he was to respond to her.

"It's nothing! I'm just getting tired after being slapped in my and badmouthed" Kiba then told her while playing it cool. "And yes, I did visit Hinata. But I was only checking to see if she were doing okay and all. Kurenai-sensei asked me to. I never tried to flirt with Hinata or anything" he then said, although he felt kind of stressed as he just mentioned the word "flirt".

"Well, I never said you were" Hana remarked to him with a chuckle, much to Kiba's annoyance. "Anyway, you and Akamaru will need to keep behaved during the evening. Later, we're receiving a special visitor to our home" the young woman told him as she listened with a raised eyebrow.

Eventually, Kiba merely poked his ear as if he didn't care. "Oh, let me guess: your "boyfriend" is coming over for dinner?" he then asked with little enthusiasm in his voice. "Honestly, I can't believe why in the world you fell for a bum like him" he then added with a hint of disgust in his voice.

Hana stared at him with dispassion in her voice. "Goro is more than that, you immature dimwit. He's my fiancé. Now, I only ask of you to behave rationally during the visit. And don't you dare insult him. Goro is of the Inuzuka clan" she sternly told her younger brother.

"Exactly my point" Kiba pointed out, causing Hana to stare at hi bewildered. "Why even bother marrying someone from your own clan? I swear, you went the wrong way, just like Shino did" Kiba told her in return.

"Whatever. At least Shino DID find someone to relate to. And who are you to judge us? You can't find any date because of your own impulsiveness and immaturity!" Hana shot back at him.

Kiba knew that this wasn't going anywhere he had wanted to and proceeded to move towards his bedroom, with Akamaru tagging along with him. The young man opened his door and slammed it, yet he did not damage the door. The young man took off his grey jacket, thus revealing his jounin vest he wore underneath his jacket. He took it off as well, wearing only a brown t-shirt. The young man with the goatee simply jumped on his bed, while Akamaru rested on his own bed besides Kiba's.

"Man, what a pain in the ass she must be!" Kiba noted in his thoughts while thinking about Hana. However, he soon got over his sister's scolding and began thinking about someone else.

As Kiba laid on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, his thoughts drifted back to Hinata and the thing they had done back in the mansion. He still thought about her. Her voice, her smile, her lips, her eyes, her hair and even her body. The young man could not seem to let those thoughts slip away. He felt himself aroused as he thought about his usual shy teammate.

"Hinata…I never knew there existed this kind of side with you" the brown-haired man noted, still thinking about how seductive Hinata had behaved towards him. "But…..how are you doing now? You're probably in trouble with your family because of me….and I may be in the same predicament" he added to his thoughts.

Kiba slowly began closing his eyes. Yet the moment he did that, he could hear a very familiar voice in his head. It was so sweet and tender. "Kiba….." the voice called to him and it sounded very much like Hinata. "Kiba…..make love to me" the sweet voice called back to him and Kiba even began to smile so sweet. He imagined him being with Hinata once again, seeing her smile, hair and voluptuous body, including her breasts. "I want you to be the first man to touch them, Kiba. I want to know that you at least appreciate for who I am. I am beginning to love you, Kiba" the same sentence that Hinata had said to him made Kiba feel very aroused in his sleep of his.

"Hinata…my god….you're fucking sexy" Kiba thought inside his head, feeling as if he was in his own world. But something began to take hold on him. Was he beginning to behave like a kind of pervert, right now? Or was this because of the fact that Kiba felt some sexual desires he had long been denied? Either way, he was slowly staring to lose his mind. "Yeah...oh god! Oh, fuck Hinata! Suck it deep! I'm beginning to…OH GOD! ALMOST! I THINK I'M GONNA…..OH GOD!" he then started imagining himself having some form of sex with Hinata.

But as he was in his own world, Kiba felt something wet covering over his face. It felt ice cold. It was so cold that it made Kiba snap back into reality and he woke up from his brief rest. The young man howled as he felt himself shivering. He soon realized that he was soaking wet and that it was his mother: Tsume Inuzuka who had thrown a bucket of ice cold water at him. She held it while glancing at her son with narrowed eyes. But she was not alone, as Hana was standing behind her with a worried expression on her face. Nevertheless, Kiba became furious.

"Mom…...what the hell was that for!? Why did you throw a bucket of water at….." Kiba was interrupted by a hard slap on his left cheek given to him by Tsume. It was hard and it left an ugly mark on the cheek. The rowdy man glared at her angrily. "Mom…the fuck are you….." Kiba's lowly uttering was interrupted by his mother angrily grabbing him by the collar of his brown t-shirt.

"SPARE ME YOUR NONESENSE!" Tsume snapped at him with her feral instincts and it even scared Kiba. The brown-haired woman then fixed her eyes upon him, yet Kiba did not say anything in return. "Now cut the bullshit, Kiba! Do you know why I'm here!? I'm here because I've found out that my own son had sex with the daughter of Hiashi Hyuuga!" she then revealed to him strictly.

The young man's eyes snapped in shock as he heard this and he knew something had to be done. But was that worth saying? "Mom….you got the wrong idea! We never had sex! Hinata and I just kissed!" the brown-haired man tried to convince her of his story, but Tsume seemed unfazed.

"Just kissing!? Well, I was told by Hiashi himself that you and she were lying the same bed! And she was topless! To me, that is sex!" she then sternly pointed it out to the young man.

Kiba's feral eyes widened in return. "Wait…..Hiashi told you this?" he then asked her.

"Of course, he did, you sex-crazed pup! He came up to my job in the fields, telling me about it!" Tsume replied, yet she tightened her grip on the t-shirt's collar. "But don't you dare change the subject! Do you have any idea what you have done!?" the middle-aged woman angrily asked of him.

But suddenly, a hand reached to Tsume's and it was Hana. The young woman encouraged her mother to let go of the collar and she did so with reluctance. Hana watched her younger brother with a hint of disappointment in her eyes and Kiba could see that.

"I really hope you are satisfied with yourself. Because of this episode you and she caused, the Hyuuga clan has demanded that we sit down and have a talk with them on this matter, tomorrow" she revealed to him, much to Kiba's surprise. "We are going to attend this discussion and YOU are coming with us, whether you like it or not!" she then added while pointing a finger at him.

As Kiba heard this, he simply glanced at his sister and mother with nothing but a cocky grin, and it even astounded his family. Why was he behaving this now that he knew what he had managed to start?

"So here we go again. Always find someone to blame for your own misdeeds. And as usual, I'm the scapegoat" Kiba said, even hinting his own dissatisfaction about the subject.

"Quit playing the victim here, Kiba! Your idiocy has caused the Hyuuga and Inuzuka clans to be at a cold stalemate against one another. Lady Tsunade herself had to urge Hiashi to have a dialogue instead of confrontation" Hana pointed out sternly to him.

Kiba felt somewhat a hint of anger inside of himself. "A dialogue about what? About the fact that I managed to make Hinata feel happy and confident about herself? You guys know Hiashi Hyuuga. He's a deadbeat-dad who has only neglected Hinata" he told them as Tsume and Hana stared at him with widened eyes, not expecting him to say something like this. "And you wanna hear me say it? Fine! I admit to it! I did have some kind of sex with Hinata! But you know what!? I regret nothing! Because for the first time since the end of that fucking war…..I felt satisfaction and happiness inside of me. And I sure as hell bet Hinata felt the same thing" the brown-haired man then spoke up, expressing his defiance towards his family.

"Just get to the point, Kiba!" Tsume said to him in an irritated manner. "We have a visit to prepare for, so we can' waste our time listening to your antics" she said.

Kiba only crossed his arms in return while glaring at his mother. "I don't give a shit! Hell, I actually want to spend the evening in my room. Go ahead! Have this stupid visit without me being present. I don't even wanna get better acquainted with that faggot anyway! At least I have someone to care about for who she is!" he angrily spat against Tsume, who merely glared at him furiously in return.

"You better shut your mouth before I do it for you, brat!" Tsume warned in return, only for Hana to intervene between the two.

She faced Tsume. "Stop this, mom! You're not helping the situation by degrading him" she told him before facing her younger brother, who was still glaring at her with anger. "Look, Kiba. I know that you've always wanted to have girlfriend and I have always supported you having one. But beginning a relationship with someone like the heiress to the Hyuuga clan…..it seems so….unrealistic" she told him.

"Well like it or not, Hinata's the girl I'm looking for! Deal with it!" Kiba said, before he took a deep breath while facing his sister with a slight smile. Between his mother and his sister, Hana was the one Kiba would usually get along with most. This was likely due to Hana being less bad-tempered than Tsume. She was also known to be a compassionate person, who respected people regardless from which clan they came from. That is why Kiba felt like it was time for him to show Hana some kindness. "Look, sorry about the yelling. I will join you on this visit. And believe me, I will join you on the visit tomorrow. As a matter of fact, I will be the one to personally talk with Hiashi. I promise I will keep my temper in check" he then added.

Both Tsume and Hana smiled as they heard him say that. The reason was because they saw Kiba starting to take some responsibilities as an adult for once. Hopefully, he would have enough guts to not misbheave at the Hyuuga mansion.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: That was chapter 3. We saw what Naruto and Sakura were off to that day. We also got to see what Tenten and Lee were up to. Shikamaru's heading for the Sand Village, which will be the subject of the next chapter. I want all couples to have the scene in this story, but when it comes to more closer perspectives, I think NaruSaku, SasuIno and KibaHina will be those who I may be more concentrating on while writing the story. But then again, ShikaTema and LeeTen will not be neglected. Now since this chapter will be about the Hidden Sand Village, we will also see Gaara, Kankuro and Matsuri. But Gaara and Matsuri are not yet married in this story so don't expect any focus on them.**


	4. Diplomatic Matters

**Author's note: This chapter will tell us about Shikamaru's trip to the Sand Village. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you not to read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Diplomatic Matters**

 _In the desolate wastes of the Land of Wind_

As Shikamaru Nara and his delegation composed of Aoshi Yamashiro, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki were wandering through the desolate wastes in the Land of Wind. The group had been travelling through the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers all day, and the night had arrived in the desert. Currently, the sky above the delegation was cloudless and the moon itself could be spotted amongst the darkness that surrounded it. So far, everything had been silent, much to the group's own satisfaction.

"The evening sure is quiet around here" Shikamaru remarked to his comrades as he looked up at the moon. The young man eventually fixed his eyes upon the open environment lying around them. Shikamaru sighed. "But still, we best reach the Sand Village as quickly as possible. Spending the entire night in the open desert is such a drag. Plus, you never know when a sandstorm is going to happen" he added with a suggestion.

Aoshi adjusted his sunglasses. "Well, do you know which direction to go? Everything here looks the same. In my opinion, the Land of Wind is just one big bowel of sand" he asked Shikamaru while looking around to see.

"Tch, talk about a pain in the ass" Kotetsu remarked as he put his hands in his pockets. "Couldn't these Sand ninjas have done some improvements to these travelling conditions? Like, it would be nice if they just put up a sign on which way to go" the black-haired man wondered as he was feeling lost all of a sudden.

Izumo only chuckled by what he heard from his best friend and partner. "Well, the Sand Village has always been known to be a quite reclusive place. Perhaps it's villagers don't want foreigners to find out where it is" he suggested, as he could not come up with a proper answer.

Kotetsu only looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What…but how can they still be acting this towards us, their allies? I mean, haven't they moved on from the war?" he asked him.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you, Kotetsu" Shikamaru noted as he stopped on his tracks. The other three jounins did the same thing, curious about why he did that. Apparently, there was something on Shikamaru's mind right now. He turned around to face them. "Yes, when the war ended, all of us expected peace to prosper between the Five Great Elemental Nations. Hell, we even signed an international treaty together for the first time in many decades. And while peace was developed…..not everything had gone as we expected" Shikamaru told them.

Aoshi nodded, indicating that he understood what Shikamaru was getting at. "I see what you are getting at. So far, the Leaf Village has managed to develop close and healthy relationships with the Sand Village and surprisingly, the Mist Village. But when it comes to the Cloud and Stone Villages, it's different" the man with the sunglasses noted.

Shikamaru nodded his head in return. "Yeah, not to mention about the recent "incident" that happened in the Cloud Village in the aftermath of the war. One of its clans: the Sado clan, was accused of plotting a coup against the Fourth Raikage A and his leadership. This type of coup was probably inspired by the one the Uchiha clan had planned against the Leaf Village years ago. This conflict almost escalated into a civil war, as the clan's leader challenged the Raikage for the mantle, only for him to lose" he then told them as they listened closely about an incident that took place in one of the strongest hidden villages. "Because of the many losses the village had suffered in the war, as well as the Land of Lightning's participation of the Hashirama-agreement, the Raikage was left with no choice but to exile the clan from the village. His killing of the Sado clan head had already put him on the brink of being recalled as the leader of his village" Shikamaru then added to his explanation.

"But luckily, the Land of Fire was more than willing to take in the refugees from the Sado clan" Izumo told them with a slight smile. However, his smile soon faded into a frown. "But what about the Land of Earth, or the Stone Village to be more precise? Even though the Stone ninjas fought alongside us…I still have some doubts about their motives" he added, while admitting something to his comrades.

Kotetsu nodded his head in return. "Yeah, I feel the same way you do" the black-haired man admitted as well. "Long before they even became our allies in the war, they had been employing terrorists and mercenaries behind our backs, including the Akatsuki. As much as I want to believe that the Stone ninjas have changed…...there are something that holds me back. But I don't know what it is" he then went on explaining his suspicions.

"Speaking of the Stone Village, is that old man Onoki still leading as Tsuchikage?" Aoshi asked his comrades with a raised eyebrow. Both Kotetsu and Izumo simply nodded their heads in reply. "That old midget is delusional. Why doesn't he do the right thing and let a new Tsuchikage handle the leadership? He's getting too old and slow to even realize what's going on around the world" he added while expressing his thoughts about the Third Tsuchikage: Onoki.

Shikamaru had been listening to what his comrades had been telling him so far. In fact, since they had been talking about the Stone Village, he was quickly reminded about what Chouji had said to him before he left the for his mission. It was about that girlfriend of his: Sanae. Distrust and concern began to slightly cloud Shikamaru's mind. Could this Sanae, just be a spy, using her relationship with Chouji to get more knowledge about the Leaf Village? Shikamaru himself felt paranoid by coming up with this kind of conspiracy. This was about his best friend. Shikamaru had always believed that Chouji would never find a woman who would appreciate for who he was. But now, he had finally found one. Truth be told, Shikamaru was happy on Chouji's behalf. Yet despite this, he felt somewhat concerned about this relationship.

"You know something?" Shikamaru then asked his comrades while smiling at them smugly. "I think we better not cloud ourselves with these doubts. We've got a job to do and we haven't even reached our destination. I suggest we hurry up before we find ourselves lost in the desert" the man with the ponytail told them.

Aoshi, Kotetsu and Izumo smiled at him smugly, knowing that Shikamaru had some truth in his words. The group of four then proceeded to wander through the desolate wastes, hoping to reach the Sand Village and get some well-deserved hospitality. The moon was still shining upon them as they wandered. As they were on their way, Kotetsu had begun to notice something odd with this environment.

"Listen…..something's not feeling right" the man with the bandage across his face told them as he looked up to the moon. Kotetsu's eyes widened as he could spot some thick clouds starting to cover the moon itself. "The moon….it disappeared behind those clouds!" he noted warily while he suddenly felt some wind on his face.

The other members of the delegation could feel the same thing and they all knew what this meant. Even know, they were running as fast as they could while covering their heads by using their arms.

"Damn it! There's a sandstorm coming!" Shikamaru cursed underneath his breath. "And we just had to be in the middle of nowhere instead of a place where we could find shelter! Such a drag!" he added to his thoughts.

"These winds keep getting stronger! I can feel it!" Aoshi noted while making sure his own sunglasses did not fall off. He tried to get a look at where they were heading, but it was impossible for him to see. "It's impossible for me to see anything! The sands are starting to blind my sight!" he then said to his comrades.

"You still get blinded even while wearing those sunglasses!?" Izumo asked him in slight disbelief.

Aoshi gritted his teeth in frustration. "Yeah! They are getting covered by sand thanks to the winds! And because of the clouds covering the moon, it's difficult to see which way to go!" the young man with the sunglasses responded to his question.

Shikamaru was struggling while trying to guide his comrades through this harsh storm. But since he was focused on covering his eyes, he could not specifically see where he was going. But while the group ran as fast as they could through the desert storm, a strong hurricane suddenly appeared right before them. It blew them all away, thus forcing them to land on the sand. All members of the delegation were now covered in sand. Event their hairs were dirty thanks to the strong hurricane that had just appeared right before them. In addition to that, Kotetsu, Izumo and Aoshi began coughing as they managed to get sand inside their mouths.

Shikamaru was still having his eyes shut, as he thought this was just the work of the sandstorm. But the man with the ponytail suddenly snapped as he could hear a very familiar voice to him.

"Aren't you gonna open your eyes now? The sandstorm is gone…..momentarily that is" the female voice called to Shikamaru and his comrades also recognized who this was.

Shikamaru opened his eyes and standing before him and his delegation was none other than Temari: one of the Fifth Kazekage's siblings and one of the strongest kunoichi of the Sand Village. She was standing there, having changed her hairstyle by having bangs that fall to the right side of her face along with her hair, which was a bit longer, up in two pigtails. Her clothing consisted of a purple long-sleeved blouse with a high collar under a grey top, and a dark blue skirt with a split in the middle revealing her leggings. She wore fingerless gloves and her sandals were slightly different than the ones she had previously worn. But most noticeably, she wasn't wearing her forehead-protector anymore.

The dark blonde-haired woman simply smirked as her blue eyes met Shikamaru's. Temari was accompanied by two members of the Sand Village's ANBU Black Ops. These men wore pieces of cloth that resembled turbans to cover the lower halves of their faces, leaving only their eyes visible. Shikamaru and his comrades were surprised and relieved at the same time.

"Gaara sent us out here to find and locate your whereabouts in the desert. He requested that we help you reach the village by leading you to it. And he told us you were a delegation from the Leaf Village" Temari said with a smirk forming underneath her face.

Shikamaru only sighed deeply as he heard this. "Let me guess, you agreed to this because you knew I was part of this delegation?" he then asked, forcing Temari to glance at him with stern eyes. The young man only shrugged his shoulders in return. "What? I'm just curious" he insisted to her.

"You know, you have some nerve saying this to the one who just saved you from a sandstorm" Temari said and she began to brandish her giant fan. As she swung it to the right, a powerful wind was blown to that direction, thus surprising Shikamaru and his comrades. "When travelling in this desert during night, an expert at wind-based jutsu are always required regardless of which age" she then added with a factual statement.

Shikamaru got up on his feet, and he only chuckled in amusement by hearing Temari tell him this. "Easy there, Temari. I don't mean to sound like a dick or anything I'm just trying to…" the moment Shikamaru began touching the back of his neck, he snapped as he could feel so much sand sitting there. "What the…aw shit! My clothes are filled with sand!" he then started to complain.

Temari only crossed her arms in return as he heard him say that. "Is that what concerns you the most? Just be glad that you're still alive and breathing, Shikamaru" she berated him sternly before fixing her attention on his comrades. Temari smiled. "Oh, I almost forgot about you as well. Pleased to see you, hard-working shinobis of the Leaf" she told them.

All three men got up on their feet and proceeded to give her formal nods in return. While they wanted to ask Temari about something, they felt too stunned to reply, as they could not believe how powerful she was with her wind-based jutsus. It astounded them about the fact that she had saved them from the sandstorm.

"Lady Temari" one of the Sand ANBUs called to her with a formal bow, given the fact that she was one of the village's most respected defenders. "We best head back to the village. It's only a matter of time before the sandstorm comes again" he added while explaining what to do next.

Temari nodded her head in return before facing Shikamaru and his comrades. "Alright, slowpokes. We'll lead you to the village, where hospitality awaits" she told them and they all began to move, only for the young woman to grab hold of Shikamaru's right hand as he passed by her. He only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, yet Temari fixed a sweet glance at him. "After your meeting with Gaara, you and I can spend some time together" the dark blonde-haired woman said, her voice even having some hint of seductiveness in it.

Shikamaru gulped as he heard what she said. "You mean right now? It's freaking midnight! How do you suppose I'm able to have a conversation when I have spent the entire day…" Shikamaru stopped when Temari put a finger on his mouth. Once again, he was confused.

"Relax, I was just being sarcastic" Temari then revealed to him, even laughing while seeing his reaction to her. "However, you will spend the night at my place. It's getting too late. You can speak with Gaara in the morning" she then added, this time having some honesty in her voice. She even winked at him before taking off.

As Shikamaru followed the young woman, he began sighing in slight annoyance. But that sigh was history, as Shikamaru began smile at Temari. He even nodded his head at her as a yes to her statement.

"Fair enough. But could we at least hurry it up? I want to at least get some sleep before morning" Shikamaru then said to her.

Temari smirked. "I was hoping you would say that" she said before she and the rest of the group began heading towards the right direction, resisting the urge to giggle as she listened to Shikamaru moping slightly at what she had just said him. His comrades had no idea what was going on between the two of them, but they could see that they had known each other to have small quarrels such as this. Even so, they didn't have enough energy to think about such things, given that they felt very tired and lacked the energy to think about those.

* * *

 _The next day, inside a building, the Village Hidden in the Sand, the Land of Wind_

The morning was slowly rising up to the skies and it shined brightly on the Village Hidden in the Sand. The village itself was built inside a fortified valley behind cliffs of rock. The only way in and out of the village restricted to a single cleft between two cliff-faces. The common building material that was used for these buildings were clay or stucco, which would help to keep the buildings cool. But in recent years, the Sand Village had undergone some changes by building small canals and fountains of water throughout the village. This was an attempt by the village's leadership to modernize the Sand Village, and grant it's people easier access to water. For this, Gaara of the Desert, who was once feared by his people, was now considered to be the most benevolent Kazekage to have carried the mantle.

Inside one of the towering buildings near the Kazekage's Building, Shikamaru was lying on a bed while sleeping so sweet. Since arriving at the village so late in the night, Temari had taken him to her place and let him stay at the guest room for the night. Shikamaru never as much as said goodnight, as he immediately fell asleep on the bed. He was currently sleeping close to a window and once the small rays of sunshine began lighting the room, Shikamaru's eyes slowly opened.

The man was dressed in a grey t-shirt. As he rose up from the bed, he yawned deeply. "Morning already?" he wondered while rubbing his sleepy eyes. "Well, at least I managed to get some rest" he added while deciding to look out the window.

Shikamaru managed to glance out and watched as the sun got up and shined brightly above the village. The young man had understood that the sun was hotter in the Land of Wind than in the Land of Fire, even though the Land of Fire could have the warmest of the summers. But due to the harsh conditions in the desert, the sun would always burn hotter. Even now, Shikamaru could take notice of the heatwave and it astounded him.

"It's just the middle of spring. How the hell can it be summer here?" he wondered in his head while glancing out at the window. But before Shikamaru knew it, he felt a powerful wind strike at him from behind and it caught him by surprise. The young man with the ponytail was forced up against the window while he felt how cold this breeze really was. In fact, he even lost his t-shirt.

Shikamaru shivered and angrily turned around to see Temari standing there with a smirk as usual. She was holding her giant fan and only waved at him in a whimsical manner. "Hey there, handsome. Slept well?" she asked him, much to Shikamaru's anger.

"Slept well, my ass! What the hell did you do that for!?" Shikamaru angrily asked her while holding onto himself. "I was already awake, so there was no reason for you to….." the young man stopped as he could see Temari stare at his crotch. Her green eyes were slightly curious and she even raised an eyebrow. Shikamaru was stunned. "Hold on why are you…" Shikamaru glanced down and could see that he had his dick completely exposed. This indicated that his underwear had been blown off him as well. Shikamaru screamed in shock and quickly reached for a pillow that was lying on the bed. With this he covered his crotch.

Temari chuckled in amusement. "My, it seems that I may have gone too far waking you up with my giant fan" the dark blonde-haired woman said as she started laughing at what her own actions had brought upon him.

"THE HELL'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!? YOU'RE SAYING THAT BLOWING OFF MY UNDERWEAR WAS NOT INTENTIONAL!?" Shikamaru asked in outrage while holding onto the pillow, which only made Temari to laugh more in amusement. The man with the ponytail could see his underwear lying on the ground and he grabbed it with one hand while using the other to hold the pillow. Shikamaru felt sort of embarrassed as he was doing this. He could see how the woman was having fun in this. "Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, Temari! Now can you please close the door!? Let me put on some clothes in peace, please!" he requested of her while trying to find his t-shirt.

Temari stopped laughing and proceeded to face her guest with a smile. "Alright. I'll be waiting in the kitchen for you. We can talk about your upcoming meeting over breakfast. So hurry up and get dressed, you lazy bum" she commanded him before closing the door, thus leaving Shikamaru all by himself.

Shikamaru only grumbled as he put on his underwear and began putting on some clothes. "There's no reason for you to tell me that. It's just what had in mind!" he noted in his thoughts with annoyance as he got himself dressed. "What a drag this awakening turned out to be" he then admitted.

A couple of minutes later, Shikamaru was dressed and ready to join Temari for some breakfast. The young man saw her sit by the table to enjoy some coffee. He smiled smugly and took his seat above from where Temari sat. While finding some bread, Shikamaru could notice the cup of coffee that was placed before him. He looked at Temari and smiled.

"Heh, you made this for me?" he asked her smugly.

Temari glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "You think?" she replied with her stern glance. "I know that you lack skills in making coffee, so I might as well assist you with it" the dark blonde-haired woman told him.

Shikamaru simply rolled his eyes while taking the cup of coffee. "Whatever. Thanks, anyway" he said to her with a smile before taking a sip. As he drank the coffee, Shikamaru could not help but to feel that it tasted good. Despite being hot, it tasted good and Shikamaru even licked his lips after taking the sip. "Man…this coffee taste actually good…better than the ones I make back home" he then admitted to her.

Temari could not help but to smirk while seeing Shikamaru finding the coffee delicious and tasty. "Glad you like it. The coffee of the Sand Village has some other ingredients, which I off course will not tell you" the dark blonde-haired woman told him before fixing a more serious glance on her face, something Shikamaru himself noted. He simply raised an eyebrow at her. "Alright. Gaara wanted me to ask something of you. He wants to know what has happened in the Leaf Village recently. What happened to the "trial" with Sasuke Uchiha?" she then asked him sternly.

Shikamaru had to admit that he was surprised to hear a question like this coming out from Temari's own mouth. However, he knew better than to refuse answering the dark blonde-haired woman. Therefore, he decided to fill her in on recent events.

"Well, Sasuke stood in trial and was voted to be free by the jury" Shikamaru told her while scratching the back of his head. "I know that it sounds kind of messed up, but some of the jurors managed to be inspired by Sasuke's defense during the trial. However, he will be under tight supervision, given the fact that he's been recruited into the ANBU Black Ops" he then went on telling her.

It was Temari's turn to be surprised. She was stunned by Shikamaru's revelations. "Sending an ex-criminal into the ANBU Black Ops? Wait…don't tell me that he's been enlisted into the…." Temari was at loss of words while Shikamaru simply nodded his head in return as a yes.

"That's right. Sasuke's currently a member of the Shadow Squad. The Hokage wants him to protect the Leaf Village from the shadows" Shikamaru replied while answering Temari's confusion.

"But why?" Temari asked out loud. "I don't get why the jurors decided to vote him to be released. Sasuke has committed serious crimes! Why must he be…." Temari stopped as Shikamaru raised a handpalm at her, thus making her stop.

The young man with the ponytail sighed deeply before speaking up. "Look, I get it. I too am still reluctant to put my full trust in him. But yesterday, I couldn't help but to think about how many people still care for him, let alone look at him as if he's a friend" Shikamaru then told Temari, who listened carefully. "I know that the majority of the villagers will hate and despise Sasuke, but there are those who care for him. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei. Hell, even Ino still tries to win his heart, as it was what Asuma-sensei had encouraged her to keep fighting for. Maybe Tsunade is right. Everyone deserves a second chance" he then went on explaining while also commenting about Tsunade's attitude towards Sasuke.

For some reason, Temari glanced down at her table and let out a deep sigh. It made Shikamaru confused about whether he had said something wrong. "It's the same thing with Gaara" she told him, much to Shikamaru's astonishment. The young woman looked at him and nodded her head as a yes. "Gaara also believed that Sasuke had fallen into the darkness. He believed that only Sasuke could be redeemed with the help of Naruto, of course" she then told him while even forcing a slight smile at her face.

"Hold on just a sec. Was Gaara aware of Sasuke's trial?" Shikamaru then asked her.

"Of course. Gaara received a pigeon delivering that message to him yesterday. From what I could tell, he seemed very pleased about the outcome. He claimed that releasing him was necessary as he had been a key asset to win the war against Madara Uchiha" Temari replied flatly in her voice, indicating that she did not necessarily like how much supportive her younger brother was towards the former international criminal. "I respect Gaara as a Kazekage, but I don't think he should be so forthcoming about his support for Sasuke. That man was once a member of the Akatsuki, who nearly cost Gaara his life. Gaara is better off without knowing Sasuke so personally" she added while feeling very concerned about the well-being of her younger brother.

Shikamaru simply shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry, Temari. Your brother's the Kazekage, so I believe he knows what he's doing. And besides, if Sasuke ever plans on returning to the life of crime, I will bust his ass, trust me. I know Naruto and even Gaara will do that as well" he encouraged her while even reaching out to put a hand on Temari's right shoulder.

The dark blonde-haired woman was surprised by this at first, yet she managed to form a slight smile at Shikamaru. Despite Shikamaru getting easily annoyed by bossy women, he and Temari had grown quite close to one another, especially since the time they fought each other during the finals of the Chuunin Exams years ago. In addition, they had grown quite close to one another in the aftermath of the world war. Even though they lived in different villages, their same professions kept this relationship ongoing. But so far, neither Shikamaru nor Temari had any interest in getting married. So far, this kind of relationship was enough for them, especially Shikamaru, as he thought getting married was a pain in the neck. While Shikamaru's friends and family knew about this relationship, it was not the same with Temari. She had not told her brothers about it yet, even though Gaara and Kankuro knew she and Shikamaru were close friends.

"Okay. I think we're finished here" Temari said while she rose up from her seat. "You better brush your teeth and get ready for the meeting. Gaara is expecting you to behave during this meeting" she told him with a stern glance.

"Wait. What about Aoshi, Kotetsu and Izumo?" Shikamaru then asked her.

"Don't worry" Temari told him while smiling smugly. "They slept at Kankuro's, so they are on their way to Gaara's office as we speak" she added and proceeded to take some of the dishes. "So, hurry up and clean your mouth" she commanded him.

Hearing this caused Shikamaru to simply mutter lowly. "Relax, you don't need to remind me. I'm on my way" Shikamaru insisted to her and headed towards the bathroom to get himself ready for the meeting.

* * *

 _10 minutes later, inside the Kazekage's Building_

Having just arrived at the Kazekage's Building, Shikamaru and the rest of the delegation was sitting on a couch and waited for their hosts to arrive. Across the table before them was the couch that was reserved for Gaara and his siblings. As the delegation sat and waited patiently, Shikamaru could not help but to feel himself sweat a little. His friends took notice of it.

"Are you feeling nervous?" Kotetsu asked the man with the ponytail while raising an eyebrow. "I mean, you have spoken with the Kazekage so many times before, how can you feel this way?" he then added to his question.

Shikamaru immediately tried to hide his sweating and glanced at Kotone with stern eyes. "It's not that I'm nervous about it, Kotetsu" the young man spoke up before gulping a little. "It's just that I'm beginning to feel as if Gaara knows about me and Temari" he then admitted, much to the astounding of his friends.

"What? You mean that you haven't told the Kazekage about your…" Aoshi was about to say it, until Shikamaru covered his mouth, thus shutting him. The man with the ponytail made sure that no one heard that except for those sitting with him.

"Don't say it out loud, okay!?" Shikamaru told him lowly, making sure that Aoshi got it clear. Shikamaru sighed deeply before continuing. "I can't let him find about our relationship. You know those stories about those diplomats who marries diplomats from other countries? They usually end up in disaster" he then spoke up.

His friends felt dumbfounded by hearing Shikamaru's explanation, especially Aoshi. He only raised an eyebrow at what was being said. "Could you be any melodramatic? You don't make any sense, Shikamaru" he said in return.

"Are you saying that you want to have a romantic relationship with Temari without her family knowing about it?" Izumo asked lowly. He then snapped in realization as he understood what Shikamaru's deal was. "Hold on, you wanna avoid the issues with marriage, right?" he then asked with a teasing grin.

Kotetsu and Aoshi began to chuckle with Izumo eventually joining in. Shikamaru merely facepalmed and groaned to himself in frustration. "I gotta stop talking about my private issues whenever I'm around these guys. They're not particularly helpful on that part" he then noted in his head, realizing that he should've have said anything.

The chuckling quickly ceased as the door to the conference room opened. In came the infamous Sand Siblings. Temari was now being accompanied by her two brothers: Kankuro and Gaara. Kankuro was not carrying a puppet on his back and was dressed in black clothes as he was known to have. The markings he wore on his face had changed since the end of the war. His facial markings were similar to the ones he had when he was 14, only that they could be spotted on his cheeks, chin and forehead. They almost looked like tiger claws. Since the aftermath of the war, Kankuro had mastered the Art of the Puppet Master and was now considered the strongest Puppet Master of the Sand Village since Sasori of the Red Sand.

"Hey there, fellas. Nice to see friendly faces from the Leaf Village" Kankuro said in his usual easygoing manner while taking his seat on the left end of the couch. The man dressed in black soon took notice of Shikamaru and simply waved at him with his lazy gesture. "Been a while since last time we met. Hope you slept well over at Temari's" Kankuro added, yet Shikamaru only glanced at him lazily in return.

Taking his seat in the middle of his siblings was Gaara of the Desert: the Fifth Kazekage. He currently wore his blue and white Kazekage outfit. His red hair had grown spikier since the end of the war. Other than that, nothing had changed about Gaara. He was still the benevolent leader of the Hidden Sand Village as people knew him to be. Naruto had been a huge influence on him, as the blonde-haired man had opened his eyes and showed him the light long ago. From that day on, Gaara began working himself to change people's opinion of him and emerged from being feared as a living weapon to an admired leader of his village.

"I bid you all welcome here, friends of the Sand Village. I trust that you all managed rest after arriving at the village so late in the night" Gaara started by welcoming the delegation while smiling gently. He then fixed his blue eyes upon Shikamaru, who only snapped in return. However, Gaara did not seem to be condescending and continued to smile. "We are thankful that you and the delegation could carve some time for us, Shikamaru Nara. It is an honor as Kazekage to host one of Tsunade's most valued advisors" the red-haired man told him.

Shikamaru merely chuckled nervously in return while scratching the back of his neck. "Please, I'm all too flattered. I take my job as diplomat seriously, which is why the Hokage insisted that I be sent here" the man with the ponytail said while trying to mind his manner of speaking. "Nevertheless, it was worth the journey. Truth be told, travelling through the Land of River was much more of a pain than through the Land of Wind" he then said, trying to make an impression of Gaara and his siblings. His comrades only glanced at him with raised eyebrows.

"Agreed. I knew that you would probably be tired by the time you reached the desert. Also, those who travel through the desert at nights are easy targets for the deadly sandstorms. That is why I dispatched Temari and a couple of ANBUs to see that you were escorted safely" Gaara then told the delegation, his face still filled with pleasantries.

Shikamaru and his comrades were surprised to hear the Kazekage's words, yet they could not help but to feel grateful towards his helpfulness. They all lowered their heads before him with formality.

"Then I think we owe you our gratitude, Lord Kazekage" Shikamaru said as formal as he could, trying not to screw this up.

Gaara surprisingly chuckled lowly as he saw this. "Please, there is no need to address me with such formal titles. You can just call me Gaara" he then said to Shikamaru, who was astounded to hear the openness of Gaara's voice. It was strange. Had Gaara somewhat matured since the end of the war? Whatever it was, Shikamaru could see that Gaara was now friendly towards all friends and allies of the Sand Village, even towards diplomats.

"Very well, if you insist" Shikamaru said while forming a smug smile with his mouth.

Gaara's smile softened as he decided to move onto the next subject. "I have spoken with Tsunade over the last few weeks regarding this cooperation between our agencies. I also hear that you plan on including the Mist Village into this alliance. Does that mean both the Stone Village and Cloud Village are not included in this agreement?" he then asked, this time his voice beginning to sound more serious as usual.

Shikamaru nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah. You've probably been told about recent events occurring in the Cloud Village. And we have heard little from the Stone Village" the man with the ponytail said. "But just so you know, Tsunade wants this to be a cooperation between allies, not some form of military alliance against them" he then insisted to his hosts.

Gaara nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, I understand. We are not living in the Fourth Shinobi World War anymore. Therefore, it is time that we put aside all forms of petty quarrels" he said, his blue eyes starting to narrow a bit further. "But even though peace has been achieved, crime and corruption runs rampant around the world. Many innocents are becoming victims of such injustices. Therefore, I have taken my liberty to form a new division in the ANBU Black Ops. One that will accompany your Shadow Squad" he then revealed.

Shikamaru and his comrades suddenly snapped as they could feel someone standing behind them in the shadows. The delegation turned around and could see many individuals standing on one knee, having previously used the shadows to conceal themselves. All of these people wore pieces of cloth that resembled turbans to cover the lower halves of their faces, leaving only their eyes visible. Two of them suddenly rose up and approached the couch were Gaara and his siblings were sitting on.

"What the…..how long have they been….." Aoshi was filled with disbelief as he could not believe that they had been there all the time without getting noticed.

But Shikamaru snapped in shock, almost feeling like shitting in his pants. He knew that if these ANBUs had somewhat hid themselves from their eyes, they had managed to hear Shikamaru's talk about his relationship with Temari earlier. The young man felt stressed and he began sweating intensively. Despite that, he tried to act cool in front of his comrades and hosts.

"Shit…..now I'm screwed" the young man cursed inside his head.

"What kind of division is this?" Kotetsu asked Gaara as he watched the two shinobis stand beside their superiors.

Temari smirked in return. "Since you're our visitors, we'll gladly fill you in on what we plan on doing" she said while motioning for the two shinobis to remove their covers, thus exposing their faces. "This is the Grim Guard, an order that answers to no one but Gaara himself. He has made sure to pick the best shinobis to serve the Sand Village. Baki serves as the Commander of the Grim Guard and Yutaka is his second-in-command" she then added while introducing the shinobis to the visitors.

Baki remained as proud and stern as usual, even after the war. Despite him also being busy as a member of the esteemed Sand Council, Gaara insisted on choosing Baki, given his leadership qualities. Furthermore, Baki's personality had changed over the years, as he had begun to value honor above all else. His formerly ruthless attitude was gone, yet he still possessed his stern personality that was benefiting to the Grim Guard. The Sand Village jounin still had the red markings on the right side of his face. The left side of his face was still covered by cloth that was used by Sand ninjas.

"Well met, friends of the Sand" Baki spoke to the delegation with respect in his voice, which was rare, given his formerly cold attitude towards foreigners. "On behalf of the Grim Guard, I welcome this cooperation between us and the Shadow Squad. Together, we will make sure that our borders between our nations are secured" he then added, his voice low yet gentle.

Yutaka was a young, dark-haired woman around Gaara's age, who seemed to be a complete opposite of what her superior was. Whereas Baki was more hawkish and stern as the commander, Yutaka was whimsical and clueless. However, Gaara insisted on appointing her to be Baki's second-in-command, as he felt that it would help her maturing as a kunoichi. Yutaka was teammates with Matsuri, who was currently known to be Gaara's personal assistant, similar to what Shizune is to Tsunade.

"Hey there, guys! I'm Yutaka, Commander Baki's second-in-command and Vice Commander of the Grim Guard!" Yutaka introduced herself while giggling with pride. "Together, we will kick butt and take names!" she then added, much to Shikamaru's utter confusion. His comrades raised eyebrows at her choice of words as well.

Baki simply facepalmed as he heard Yutaka say those words. "Yutaka, stop acting dimwitted and be focused for once" he told to her while trying to hide his open distaste of his second-in-command's goofy persona.

The type of clothes that Baki and Yukata wore were quite similar to the ones worn by ordinary Sand Village ANBUs, with the exception being that their vests were pale white, just like the covers they wore on their heads. The reason they wore this was to probably distinguish themselves from ordinary Sand ANBUs.

"Baki, Yukata, you and the rest of your subordinates may leave us alone. I will brief you more about this plan later" Gaara kindly requested and all the ANBUs exited the room, leaving Gaara and his siblings alone with the delegation of the Leaf Village. "Now as I said, our village is interested in this cooperation. I have even signed on the papers Tsunade gave me a couple of days earlier. The Leaf, Sand and Mist Villages will form the Triple Entente to combat crime, corruption and terror" the Kazekage said, much to the amusement of his visitors.

Shikamaru and his comrades were pleased with Gaara's answer. "We are humbled to hear your decision, Gaara. We assure you that the Leaf Village will not use this treaty as a means to further military gains. You can consider this a non-aggression pact" the man with the ponytail told him.

Gaara chuckled lowly as he heard this, only to form a slight frown when he stopped. "Actually, I as the Kazekage should be saying those kinds of words to you" the red-haired man insisted, much to the surprise of everyone, even his siblings.

"What are you saying, Gaara?" Kankuro asked his brother while not getting what he meant by that. "You don't need to show much concessions to these guys. You're the boss of this village, remember?" the man dressed in black added to his statement.

"I am not speaking of those, Kankuro" Gaara pointed out, thus silencing his brother. The red-haired man returned his focus to Shikamaru and his comrades. "Many years ago, my father and predecessor as Kazekage: Rasa, struck an alliance with Orochimaru with the intent on attacking the Leaf Village during the Chuunin Exams. It was a foolhardy decision, as the Fourth Kazekage was later killed by that scoundrel. You also lost a leader back then" he then said.

Shikamaru and his delegation knew what Gaara was speaking off. It was at that time when Orochimaru had used this invasion of the Leaf Village to battle Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. The battle resulted in the death of the third and a breach of trust between the Sand and Leaf Villages. But that was a long time ago, and relations between the two hidden villages had once again started to improve. One of the many reasons was due to the world war, as the Five Great Hidden Villages were forced to cooperate against a common enemy.

"I don't know about what you think, but I suggest it's time to move forward. That happened long ago" Shikamaru insisted to Gaara, who in turn was slightly surprised to hear those words come out of him. Shikamaru nodded his head as a yes. "Yeah, our two villages already have a good relationship. How about we focus on what we have instead of what we lost many years ago?" he then added to his question.

The Sand Siblings smiled as they heard Shikamaru's words, knowing that there was truth in what he said. "Wise words, diplomat. You have my admiration" Temari spoke up with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, which only made Shikamaru raise an eyebrow in return. He did not know whether she was being sarcastic or not.

Gaara fixed his eyes upon Aoshi, Kotetsu and Izumo. "You three may leave this room now. There is something else we wish to discuss with Shikamaru Nara alone" the Kazekage then requested of them.

The three jounins were stunned at first, yet they did as he requested and left the room, with Shikamaru the only one remaining seated on the couch. The man with the ponytail was himself curious about why he would be having this conversation alone with the Sand Siblings. He could see Gaara's gentle smile, Kankuro's laidback glance and Temari's cocky smirk. This only indicated that something was in store for him, yet he didn't exactly know what it was.

"Okay. Is there something else important you want me to know from you?" Shikamaru then asked as gentle as possible.

Gaara simply nodded his head in return. "As a matter of fact, there is. Tell me now, Shikamaru Nara. Is it true that you and my sister have been in some sort of relationship for the last few years?" he then asked gently.

Being asked this felt like a bomb exploded within from Shikamaru's standpoint. His mouth gasped and he began sweating intensively. Gaara was still smiling, yet Kankuro had begun laughing by seeing Shikamaru's reaction to the question. Temari on the other hand, grumbled by what she was seeing.

The young man with the ponytail had thoughts swirling inside his head. "What are you…I've no idea what you're…." Shikamaru was interrupted by Kankuro speaking to him.

"You can drop the playing dumb part, pal. Me and Gaara already know everything. Temari told this to us like half a year ago" the man dressed in black pointed out while resting his arms behind his neck.

Shikamaru snapped and immediately glared at Temari, who glanced back at him with a devious smirk. She eventually grinned and gave him a wink with her right eye. The young man could feel anger and embarrassment brew inside of him.

"That miserable.…..how can she find humor in this!?" Shikamaru wondered in his head angrily, gritting his teeth in frustration. He then fixed his attention on Gaara, hoping to defend his image. "Look, I think you got the wrong idea here, Gaara. Temari must've told you so many lies that…" his explanation was silenced by Gaara speaking up.

"She has told me that you and her have been dating each time you are on your diplomatic jobs. I hear you are quite charming from what she has told me" the red-haired man then said to him, his expression not filled with any signs of anger or outrage, just gentleness.

Shikamaru became dumbfounded by what he was hearing and he continued glaring at Temari, who so far took pleasure in seeing him sweat and feeling uncomfortable. It irritated him completely and if her siblings hadn't been in the same room as them right now, he would've strangled Temari out in anger to get some answers.

Gaara decided to continue speaking. "I just wanted to clarify some things with regards to this relationship" the Kazekage spoke up, thus catching Shikamaru's attention. "As the Kazekage and Temari's brother, I humbly welcome this relationship between the two of you. It is a testament of the friendship between our two villages. Whether you want to marry or not is up to you. But me and Kankuro will be more than happy to bring our blessings to you, should you consider marriage" Gaara then said, making Shikamaru stunned.

"Marriage…" Shikamaru spoke up lowly. "Hold on, I don't think marriage has a part of this relationship between us" he said and began facing Temari with a slight smile, which was certainly different from his previous expression. "It's just that…ever since the war ended…me and Temari felt kind of attached to one another, given that we were both close partners during the war. I'm also starting to admire her personality, especially when it comes to defending those she cares about" the man with the ponytail then spoke up, his eyes still facing the dark blonde-haired woman.

Temari's eyes widened in surprise as she heard those words. She had never heard them being said to her by Shikamaru before. It actually made her cheeks blush a little, which made Shikamaru grin at her in return. Temari saw this and merely facepalmed.

"Quit embarrassing me, idiot" she lowly requested of him, causing Shikamaru to find amusement in this.

"Anyway, since you have chosen to start a relationship with my sister, you will know that me and Kankuro care deeply for her" Gaara then pointed out to him. "And we expect you to take good care of her. If not, you know the consequences" he then said. This time, his sounded more strict than usual, signaling his expectations for Shikamaru as a boyfriend to Temari.

Shikamaru resisted the urge to gulp, yet he could feel himself sweat. Kankuro found this funny and started to laugh his butt off. "You heard Gaara. We won't be so forgiving towards you if you end up doing something nasty to her, like harming her, cheating on her and…" the man dressed in black was interrupted by feeling something hard hit his head. It was Temari, who had used her giant fan to bang her brother with. "Hey! What the hell was that for!?" Kankuro then asked her angrily.

Temari merely glanced at him sternly. "Is it really necessary for you to bring up these kinds of subjects? Especially when we're sitting beside the Kazekage!?" she then pointed out to him while crossing her arms.

Kankuro only shrugged his shoulders. "Tch, don't get your panties in a twist. I was trying to be a supportive brother to ya" he told her before facing Shikamaru with a smug grin. "And a future brother-in-law in your case" he then said teasingly, only to feel Temari's giant fan on her head once again. "Damn it, Temari! Stop it! I'm felling to bumps on my head right now!" he then told her, yet his sister didn't seem to care.

Shikamaru had to admit seeing the kafuffle was funny. But the kafuffle ended as Gaara made a coughing sound, thus forcing Kankuro to stop badgering Temari and remain silent, for now. The young man with the ponytail turned his attention at the Kazekage once again, who had remained calm so far.

"I trust that you understand our love for Temari as her brothers. We also hope that you can have that type of love with her as his boyfriend. Make sure she is safe" the red-haired man said, his eyes solely focused on Shikamaru.

The man with the ponytail only nodded his head as a yes and proceeded to grin smugly at the Sand Siblings in return. "Sure. I'll be guarding her. But know that she's tougher than me. Maybe it should be the other way around" he then joked, thus forcing Gaara and Kankuro to laugh a little. But Shikamaru put aside his goofiness and fixed an assuring smile on the Kazekage. "But you have my word. I won't let you guys down. That I swear to you" he then insisted to him.

Kankuro grinned smugly. "Man, you won't believe how many guys have tried to hit on Temari in the past. I mean, they all tried to act flirty by grabbing her hips and slapping her…..OUCH!" Kankuro yelled out in anger as Temari's giant fan hit on his head once again. This time, Kankuro did not want to act defiant against his sister. "Okay! I take it back! I won't say another stupid thing about you, I swear!" he then pleaded to Temari while holding onto his head. The man dressed in black could feel the bumps on his head.

Temari smirked by seeing Kankuro submit to him and put her fan away. "Hmmm…that should teach you a lesson" she noted and glanced at Shikamaru, who had somewhat been impressed by seeing her acting so strong-willed. He even gave her a thumb up, much to her confusion. "Why are you complimenting me?" she then asked him.

"Not complimenting you, just expressing my admiration for you" Shikamaru answered as he could see Temari blush in slight embarrassment. Shikamaru took pleasure in seeing this. "By the way, this is payback for the rude awakening you gave me earlier" he then told her.

* * *

 _Inside the Inuzuka clan compound, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

Even though the sun had come up, Kiba Inuzuka was still sleeping so sweet inside his bedroom. The rays of sunshine were not enough to open his feral eyes. The brown-haired man was still sleeping so sweet. His partner Akamaru was doing the exact same thing on his own bed.

The door to his bedroom opened and in came an irritated Tsume Inuzuka. The woman with feral eyes gritted her teeth as she saw her son still sleeping and she turned around to see her daughter Hana Inuzuka carry a bucket of water in her arms.

"Is this really necessary mom?" Hana asked her mother. "Kiba's a grown man. He shouldn't be babied like this" she then said to him.

Tsume sighed. "It's not about babying him, Hana. It's about getting his lazy ass in gear! I don't wish to see him become a moocher" she told her and grabbed the bucket of water and entered Kiba's room to throw it at the sleeping man. "WAKE UP, YOU LOUSY BUM!" she then yelled angrily at him.

The water was the right weapon to wake Kiba up, and the young man yelled out in shock as he got up and felt himself and his bed being soaking wet. The brown-haired man gained composure and fixed his eyes upon his mother. Kiba's eyes fumed with anger.

"ARE YOU RETARTED!? I TOLD YOU THAT I DON'T HAVE GUARD DUTY TODAY!" the young man snapped in anger while glaring at Tsume.

"And does that give you a reason to sleep all day and do nothing productive!?" Tsume barked in return, thus shutting Kiba completely. "You were given a day off for a reason! You are supposed to get yourself prepared for the meeting with the Hyuugas taking place later!" she then pointed out to him.

Kiba groaned in return. "I know that. But that's in the evening, you dumb bitch! What gives you the right to….." Kiba was interrupted when Tsume angrily slammed the bucket on his head, thus shutting him up. She also did this quite hard and Kiba could feel some starts swirl around his head.

"You DON'T talk to your mother like that. That's the number 1. rule in this household" Tsume pointed out to her son sternly, even though he had a bucket on his head. She then turned around to leave, but not before saying something to Kiba. "Now get your ass out of bed and into the shower! After that, you'll be told exactly what to say during the visit. I do NOT wanna have you screw things up again!" she then told what was the program for her son before exiting.

Kiba sighed deeply as he put of the bucket on his head and threw it away. He then watched Kiba, who merely sat and glanced at him with concern. The man with the faded goatee got out of his wet bed and patted his partner's head in a friendly manner. "Don't worry about me, Akamaru. I can handle this perfectly. Come one, I've been through worse things than this" Kiba insisted to his partner, who was still worried. The young man turned around and could see his entire bed being wet. He also saw his grey t-shirt and black boxers being this as well. "Was the water really necessary mom? I mean, your temper is more than to use as an alarm clock" he then wondered in his head in an irritated manner before finding some dry clothes before heading to the bathroom.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: This chapter told us about Shikamaru and Temari's relationship between one another. We also got to see Gaara and Kankuro, as they are Temari's brother. While I know that Yutaka is an anime-only character, I still think she would be a perfect ad to this Grim Guard. The Grim Guard is the Sand Village's version of the Leaf Village's Shadow Squad. I decided to end with Kiba, considering that he has an important day. The next chapter will tell us about Naruto and Sasuke, especially with Sasuke's membership in the Shadow Squad. We also get to see Naruto trying to learn administrating by Tsunade herself. And off course, we will see the meeting between the Hyuugas and the Inuzukas, in which will bring so many questions to how this will end. See you around!**


	5. Where Our Loyalties Lie

**Author's note: For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you not to read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Where Our Loyalties Lie**

 _In the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Land of Fire_

It was an early morning in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Sasuke was getting ready to exit Naruto's apartment, as he was off to the Hokage Tower to report for duty. It was early in the morning and most members of the Shadow Squad were required to be present during their call. And given most members' cold reception of him, Sasuke would have to prove he could still be trusted as a shinobi.

"You're leaving early" Naruto remarked, as he was standing in the hallway with a mug of coffee in his hand while wearing his orange morning coat. The blonde-haired man yawned deeply before continuing speaking. "I hope that you get enough sleep to be able to show up like this" he then added.

Sasuke glanced at him with his usual neutral glance. "This is the only opportunity I have to redeem myself, Naruto. That is why I am filled with obligation when it comes to this. The lack of sleep is the least of my worries" he said to him.

Naruto smirked in return. "I know. I'm just teasing ya" he said before taking a slurp from his coffee. "In fact, it's the same with me when it comes to the administrating. The time my work begins usually varies" he told him.

"Are you also heading out soon?" Sasuke questioned him as he was ready leave for his job.

"Yeah. I'll be heading out to work one hour from now. But you better start moving if you don't wanna get late. We'll see each other later. Just let me know if you're gonna be back late or something" Naruto told him and Sasuke nodded his head before taking his leave. The blonde-haired man simply waved at him by the door before closing it. He sighed deeply. "I never imagined that Sasuke would end up joining the ANBU Black Ops. But given his own wishes to remain hidden from the unforgiving eyes of the village, I understand his reasons" he added while taking a sip of his coffee.

As Naruto stood by himself in the hall, he took his time to muse about the fact that Sasuke was trying to make an effort to correct his mistakes by helping the Leaf Village from the shadows. But sometimes, Naruto wondered whether Sasuke himself was hiding something personal from him, Sakura and Kakashi. From their viewpoint, it seemed as if Sasuke was very conflicted with what his purpose should be. It was like he was stuck at the end of the road. As Naruto began thinking about it, he couldn't help but to wonder whether Sasuke was willing to accept whatever services was demanded from him by Tsunade or other politicians of the Leaf Village. Without that, he would not know where to start his atonement.

"I know that you don't wanna talk with me about it, Sasuke. But whenever you feel lost, you can always talk to me. We're comrades, ya know" he noted to himself while thinking about the raven-haired man.

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and it surprised him. Wondering if Sasuke had forgotten something back in the apartment, he decided to open the door, only to see someone else standing at his door. It was Shino Aburame, who wore a flak jacket with his regular shinobi attire and a new set of sunglasses. His outfit consisted of a grey shirt with matching pants under his light-grey button-up jacket. The jacket also had a hood which he kept over his head. He had also changed his forehead protector to a bandanna-style. But then again, Shino's appearance pretty much resembled those of his fellow clansmen from the Aburame clan.

"Shino…what a coincidence seeing you at my door" the blonde-haired man added while fixing a surprised expression on his face. But he eventually smiled at him. "Anyway, what brings you here?" he then asked in his usual friendly manner.

Shino still wore his usual frown on his face, which was normal, given Shino's reserved personality. "I noticed Sasuke exiting here while standing by the corner. Is it true that he's living with you?" the hooded man questioned him, his hands stuck in the pockets of his jacket.

"Yes. But he's only staying here until he gets his own place. I can't have him living on the streets" Naruto replied as honest as he could, yet he could notice the dissatisfaction on Shino's face. Naruto sighed deeply as he was expecting this kind of reaction. "Look, I get that you're still not trusting him fully. But Sasuke has acknowledged his wrongdoings. He'll come around" he then told the man with sunglasses.

Shino remained unfazed. "That is not what I meant" he then revealed those snapping Naruto in surprise. Shino adjusted his sunglasses before continuing speaking. "While I still carry some misgivings about him, I am more dissatisfied by seeing you constantly trying to help him. Sasuke is a man who must take responsibility for his own actions. He can't let you do the thing for you" he went on explaining, yet Naruto only listened with a surprised expression on his face. "You probably remember why Sasuke won the trial? It is because he took a stand on his own. I expect you to let him do that from now on" Shino concluded.

Although stunned to hear this explanation at first, Naruto soon formed a smile, indicating he appreciated Shino's comment. "Heh. I'm glad that you're also willing to give him a chance. And don't worry, I'm not trying to babying Sasuke. I'm just making sure that he is fit enough to take care of himself. Come on, haven't I told you my way of the ninja before?" he then said to the calm-headed man, who forced a slight smile as he heard his words.

"Fair enough. I'll leave him to you for now. And now to the reason why I'm here" Shino said while reaching for something in his pockets, which made Naruto raise an eyebrow in return. Shino eventually held up a letter with the blonde-haired man's name written on it. Naruto took it, still feeling confused.

"A letter? What's going on here?" Naruto quizzed him while beginning to open it.

Shino sighed by hearing this. "It's not a letter. It's an invitation" he revealed, thus surprising Naruto, who opened to letter to see that he was telling the truth. "An invitation to me and Umeko's wedding" he went on explaining.

"Ah, now I get it! You and her were engaged a couple of months ago. How could I forget?" Naruto blurted out while chuckling. He could not help but to feel somewhat proud of his reserved classmate. "So, you've finally decided to be with Umeko for real, eh? Well, I'm happy for ya" he told him as honest as he could.

The man with sunglasses simply smiled in return. "Yes. You along with Shikamaru, Lady Tsunade and clan heads are welcome to attend this wedding as guests of honor. The Aburame clan is more than happy to show this village how friendly we can be" Shino told him.

"You've invited Kurenai-sensei and her son, right? And what about Kiba and Hinata?" Naruto then asked him in his friendly manner, only for Shino to form a frown at him in return. It surprised Naruto. "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong, Shino?" he then asked him.

Shino adjusted his sunglasses before speaking. "There has been a slight…...quarrel between the Hyuuga clan and Inuzuka clan. I thought you knew this, given that you work under Tsunade's wing" he then told him.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. "No…...I had a day-off from the administrating yesterday so I wasn't even at the Hokage Tower" the blonde-haired man told him while sounding slightly surprised. "But what are you saying? A quarrel between those clans?" he asked the hooded man.

Shino nodded in return. "My father had spoken to Hiashi yesterday. From what he told me, Hiashi was incredibly furious at Kiba over things he had done to Hinata. I haven't spoken to either of them in a while, but I will soon" Shino told Naruto, as the blonde-haired man stared at him surprised. "Nevertheless, I feel uncertain about whether to invite both Hinata and Kiba to the wedding, given this icy relationship between their clans" he added to his own concerns.

Naruto nodded his head lowly and took a sip from his coffee. "Whatever this quarrel may be, it will be solved in a civilized and mature manner. There's no reason to fear a conflict. No human lives must be wasted because of such" the blonde-haired man assured him, to which Shino formed a smile.

"I admire your optimism, Naruto. It suits you as a shinobi" Shino told him before waving him goodbye and leaving. "Now if you excuse me, I'll need to have a few words with Kurenai-sensei. Until we meet again, Naruto" he said, as Naruto waved him back goodbye.

As Naruto closed the door and went back into his living room, he couldn't help but to wonder what he had just heard from Shino. Was it real? Nothing made sense to the blonde-haired man as he glanced down at his table before him.

"Kiba…...what did you do with Hinata?" he wondered in his head, but Naruto soon also began pondering about whether Hinata was to blame. "Or is it what Hinata did with you? Whoever started it, none of this quarreling between the clans makes any sense" the blonde-haired man added while thinking about those two, who had been close friends of him during their time at the Ninja Academy. "I better speak to Grandma Tsunade about this" he added before heading to his room to get dressed.

* * *

 _Inside a secret room, the Hokage Tower_

In a dark room where a digital map could be seen in the middle, many members of the Shadow Squad were now standing around it while receiving visitors. In this room inside the Hokage Tower, Commander Yugao Uzuki along with her second-in-command Asami Nakano were being visited by members of the Interrogation Squad, including their commander: Ibiki Morino. He was surrounded by fellow members: Tonbo Tobikate, Shimon Hijiri, Mawashi Dokuraku and Shinobu Mibu. Yet despite the many people standing there, there, no noise was made. Also present was Shizune herself.

She along with Yugao and Ibiki were now surveying a digital map that showed them a map of the world, including the Land of Fire and its neighboring countries. It was a new form of technology that had emerged in the wake of the world war. To the ANBU Black Ops, this technology was quite handy to their business.

"So that's what Lady Tsunade have been worried about?" Yugao asked Shizune who simply nodded her head in return.

"Yes. We have been receiving reports of certain ships sailing from both the Land of Earth to the Land of Lightning. And from what we can clarify, they're not just ordinary transport ships" she said while landing her finger at the ocean between the two nations. She then moved her finger to the Land of Lightning. "Now we also hear reports from the Hidden Mist Village that similar ships have been sailing from the Land of Lightning and past Turtle Island. The Mist Village are assuming that these ships are landing somewhere on one of the many islands lying near the Land of Water" the assistant spoke up with a unusual mature voice.

"I see" Ibiki noted grimly. "What do you suppose could be loaded onboard those ships?" he then asked Shizune.

"I am not sure. But given that these ships are only found sailing from and to the Land of Earth or the Land of Lightning, it's difficult for us to believe whether they're transport ships" Shizune said while taking her time to ponder about what she had heard.

Yugao began poking the areas showing the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind and the Land of Water together and a title emerged in which read "The Triple Entente". The other shinobis watched closely as they could see what was beginning to appear on the map. The purple-haired woman also made sure that her subordinates were listening to what she was about to declare.

"Lady Tsunade's delegation has confirmed that the Fifth Kazekage now fully supports this cooperation. Together, the Leaf Village, Sand Village and Mist Village have now established the Triple Entente. It's goal, to preserve the peace between the borders of our nations" Yugao told them while the other listened closely. "The Triple Entente is also a cooperation between our villages' ANBU Black Ops. We each have formed ultimate branches to make sure we honor the agreement. From the Leaf Village: the Shadow Squad, from the Sand Village: the Grim Guard and from the Mist Village: the Divine Division" she went on telling them.

Ibiki couldn't help but to smirk by what he was hearing and glanced at Yugao. "I admit this sounds very interesting" he said to her before forming a frown with his mouth. "But remember, we must not use this alliance as a means to start an arms race against the Stone Village and Cloud Village, given that neither of them have bothered to participate" the stern-leveled man insisted to them.

"You are most certainly right, Ibiki. All three Kages involved in this has agreed as well" Shizune pointed out, only for her to feel a hint of concern in herself. "But considering that those two villages have returned to isolationist policies, it's difficult for us to know whether we can trust them, despite our alliance in the world war" she then added to her worries.

"Still, I find it hard to believe that the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning would be accepting commodities from one another, given the icy history between them" Yugao said before fixing a smirk on her face while motioning for Asami to come forward. She then faced both Ibiki and Shizune with her cunning glance. "Anyway, I am more than happy to let me introduce you two to some of my must trusted followers. The one beside me is my second-in-command: Haul" she said while addressing Asami by her codename.

The teal-haired woman even took off her mask, thus revealing herself to these two people. Asami bowed her head at them in formality. "I am honored to see you" she said with formality in her voice, much to the amusement of Ibiki and Shizune.

"Hmmm….you picked a good second-in-command, Yugao" Ibiki noted while glancing at her.

"Is there any more members you would like us to be aware of?" Shizune then politely asked her, who simply nodded her head in return.

"With pleasure. Let me call them out based upon their codenames" Yugao said while turning around to face her subordinates. "Would Penisshaft, Vision, Scarabmonger, Horncrest, Bigman, Woodpecker and Deathhawk please stand up here?" she then called out those individuals by their codenames.

The said members did as she said and lined up to see both Ibiki and Shizune. Each of them varied in size and wore different masks. However, it didn't take long before the two began identifying each of them. In fact, Ibiki began pacing while inspecting the members. For some reason, he began pointing fingers at Penisshaft and Woodpecker.

"I see that you have recruited some well-renowned shinobis, especially those who have prior experience to being sent out into the fields" Ibiki said before facing the man who was actually Sai. "And Sai…..please, change your codename. It seems so inappropriate" he then added while the pale-skinned man removed his mask, thus revealing his smiling face.

"I am perfectly fine with my codename, Captain Ibiki" Sai insisted while chuckling to himself.

Shizune decided to change the subject. "Let's move on" she said while facing Yugao. "You've also managed to recruit members from the different clans of the Leaf Village as well. I'm surprised they would allow it" she told her.

Yugao nodded her head in reply. "Yes. Before they were recruited, me and Lady Tsunade personally conferred with the clan heads before taking them in. Unlike Root, the Shadow Squad must earn the trust of the villagers instead of the other way around. That is why we used this approach" the purple-haired woman explained while Shizune and Ibiki listened to what was being said.

Ibiki began inspecting each of those shinobis. "Quite a choice you have gathered here. From the Hyuuga clan: Tokuma Hyuuga" he said, thus forcing the brown-haired man to remove his mask and reveal himself. He nodded his head at him in return.

"Lord Hiashi recommended that I join the Shadow Squad while as a representative from the Hyuuga clan" he said. "He cited my Byakugan as a reason for sending me" Tokuma added to his statement.

Ibiki moved on to the next one. "From the Aburame clan: Tatsuma Aburame" he then said, thus forcing him to take off his mask. Ibiki even raised an eyebrow slightly by seeing this. "I know you. You were once a member of Root. It seems that you along with many other ex-Root members has joined the Shadow Squad" he then added with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Tatsuma gave a formal bow to Ibiki. "The Aburame clan has decided to give me a chance to clear my name. My membership in Root did not serve the Leaf Village's interest, but that of a selfish fool like Danzo Shimura. This is my chance to make things right" the man with sunglasses said.

Ibiki continued. "From the Nara clan: Ensui Nara" he then said while he removed his mask. It belonged to that of a man with a ponytail, which all members of that clan were known to have. He nodded his head with formality.

"I am humbled to represent the Nara clan in the Shadow Squad" the calm-mannered man said. Ensui's focused personality was different from that of Shikamaru.

Ibiki them moved on to the chubby man with the mask and mused to himself. "From the Akimichi clan: Shito Akimichi" he then said and the chubby man removed his mask. "So even the Akimichi clan sends one of their own? They never cease to impress me" Ibiki said with a tone that was different from his usual strict persona.

Shito saluted at him in return. Amongst the Akimichi clan, Shito was known to be among the more stoic and headstrong members, something which contrasted greatly from Chouji's more openminded and laidback attitude. "I am yours to command, Captain Ibiki" he said with respect in his voice, something which Ibiki took great pleasure in. He always enjoyed respect, as did other high-ranking politicians of the Leaf Village. But such respect was earned through hard work.

Everything seemed to go smoothly, until Ibiki chose to walk past Woodpecker and stand right before Deathhawk. His eyes narrowed at the man dressed in a bird-like mask. Shizune noticed this and became slightly concerned with what she was seeing. The Commander of the Interrogation Squad deeply frowned as his eyes gazed upon this individual, who was actually Sasuke in his ANBU disguise.

"And of course…...from the Uchiha clan…..Sasuke Uchiha" Ibiki spoke up, his voice having no enthusiasm or admiration. Slowly, Sasuke removed his mask, thus exposing his face for everyone to see, even his fellow members of the Shadow Squad. Ibiki slowly began gritting his teeth, yet Sasuke only glanced at him with unfazed. "You sure have some nerve coming here, Uchiha-punk. If it weren't for this trial, I would've still held you within my reach" he spoke up with an intimidating voice, even showing some gesture with his fingers.

The raven-haired man continued to glance at him unfazed, yet he didn't remain silent. "Just what is your point?" Sasuke spoke up with his usual calm manner. "I was pardoned by the Five Kages and voted to be set free after hearing my defense. There is no reason for you to be still…" Sasuke was interrupted as Ibiki grabbed the young man by his collar while firming his grip.

"Ibiki…what are you…" Shizune was about to intervene, only for Yugao to block her way with her arm. She looked at her and shook her head before turning her attention to Ibiki.

"Calm yourself, Ibiki. As much as I would like to beat that punk's ass, it's better to save your rage for later" the purple-haired woman then tried to talk some sense into the stern-headed man.

Despite being held by Ibiki in such aggressive manner, Sasuke remained defiant before him, something which only made Ibiki lose his cool more. A fight could've started any minute, yet for some reason, it never happened.

"Listen to me, you son of a bitch. You may have played a role in ending that damn war, but that sure as hell doesn't mean I'll feel any form of gratitude towards you!" Ibiki spoke up sternly, his grip lever loosening. "And I know something took place between you and Ino while she was interrogating and guarding you. Whatever it was…stay the hell away from her!" he then warned him without regret in his voice.

"Fair enough. I never expected you to be so forgiving towards me, anyway" Sasuke spoke up, his own black eyes narrowing as a result. Anger began to boil inside Ibiki, yet he remained cool on the outside. "And what's this about Ino? Are you saying I somehow seduced her? You are foolishly paranoid. I've never said anything romantic to her at all, considering how loud she can be sometimes" he then told him in a smug manner before removing Ibiki's grip on his collar by fending him off.

As much as Ibiki wanted to punch the living hell out of Sasuke, he knew that it would be very unprofessional of him to easily succumb to his anger. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Sasuke one last time before joining up with Shizune.

"Mark my words, ex-criminal. You may find comfort among your closest friends. But you won't find it in me" he said while turning around to look over his shoulder. "And if you ever cause harm to any of us…I swear to God…..it'll be your last fucking day standing!" Ibiki said before taking off, returning to Yugao and Shizune.

Sasuke only closed his eyes, not caring that he was being given so many cold stares by his fellow members of the Shadow Squad, as well as some from the Interrogation Squad. In fact, this was something he had already foreseen. But the only people who didn't do that was Sai, Shizune and this mysterious member named Woodpecker. This member had not taken off his mask yet. However, he didn't seem to be necessarily surprised by seeing Sasuke standing among them.

Shizune, in an attempt to shift focus on the matter, stepped forward and stood beside Yugao. "Anyway, I suggest we now tell you all members of the Shadow Squad the reason why you're here and why the Interrogation Squad is visiting us" she said with enough gentleness as she could. "Your first trip to the fields is about to begin" she then revealed to everybody.

Yugao decided to step in to fill in on what was taking place. "You heard her, Shadow Squad. We're heading out to the fields for some investigation. We are headed to the Great Naruto Bridge to investigate some shady dealings we've reported" the purple-haired woman told them while making sure they were listening. "We'll only stay over at that village for one night and will return home the next day. But the next phase is what is really the most interesting. Why don't you tell them, Captain Ibiki?" she said while motioning for him to come forward and tell them about the plans.

The serious man did that and cleared his throat before continuing. "The next mission, which will begin the day after we return back from the first one, will have us accompanying you. Also, we are to rendezvous with the Grim Guard and the Divine Division in a port town in the Land of Waves. We'll be boarding a ship that will take us to an island which we suspect those ships from the Land of Lightning have been sailing to and from, as well dropping their cargo" Ibiki told them while being loud and clear about what was being said.

Asami stepped forward while facing her superiors with a respective nod. "So that's the reason why we're headed towards the Great Naruto Bridge?" he questioned them and Yugao gave her a simple nod. "I understand. Times have changed in the Land of Waves. It's no longer a small country ruled by corrupt criminals. However, if these unfamiliar ships are somewhat using that island nation as a trading outposts, then it could get ugly" the teal-haired woman said.

Yugao nodded with a smug smile as she placed her mask on, in which the other members did the same. "Alright, we'll begin moving out shortly. Now let me be clear on one thing. Asami, Sai, you two will be in charge of monitoring Sasuke's actions. Make sure that he knows where his loyalties lie" the purple-haired woman told them.

While Asami only sighed while crossing her arms, Sai simply saluted to her in return, indicating his understanding. Sasuke on the other hand, remained unfazed, although he felt irritation boil inside of him.

"We'll be more than happy to do that, commander" Sai said while taking his glance at the members who had introduced themselves to the leadership. "May I suggest that Vision, Scarabmonger, Horncrest, Bigman and Woodpecker also become in charge of keeping Sasuke in check? It would be a smart idea" the pale-skinned man suddenly suggested, much to Asami's own surprise. Sai waved his hand at the group in a friendly manner.

The mentioned members also reacted to his suggestion with stunned reactions, with the noticeable exception being Woodpecker, who remained silent and listened.

A smug chuckle could be heard from Yugao behind her mask. "A wise suggestion, Sai. You and Asami would benefit from having these members helping you in keeping a leash on Sasuke. After all, he's a dangerous criminal" she said before pointing her finger at the five masked members. "You five, you're also in charge of keeping an eye on Sasuke" she then commanded them. While Woodpecker immediately saluted in return, it took some time before the other members gave into her order.

Sasuke only glanced at Sai, who only waved back at him in a friendly manner, while Asami only crossed her arms while looking away. The raven-haired man could also notice a similar wave being given to him by Woodpecker. The other members had similar reactions to Asami's, as they also resented being put in charge of supervising him.

But despite this treatment, Sasuke didn't necessarily give much thought to them. He walked to Yugao, Sai and Asami. "Well then, shall we go?" Sasuke then lowly asked the three.

"Hold it right there, Deathhawk!" Yugao told him sternly, thus forcing Sasuke to shut his mouth. "Remember, I'm the Commander of the Shadow Squad. And that means, I'm in charge of giving orders here!" she sternly reminded him while motioning her head towards Asami. "You also ought to follow the commands Haul tells you, given the fact she's my second-in-command" she then added.

Sasuke stood still while Yugao and the others gathered the rest of the members to assemble and be ready to move out. As he was standing still, he could notice Ibiki and certain members of the Interrogation Squad still giving him cold glances. But Shizune only glanced at him with a neutral expression, indicating she was neither happy nor angry at him. The raven-haired man could even notice Ibiki doing a killing gesture towards him, as if his throat was being cut.

"Remember what I've told you. One wrong move….and you're headed for the cemetery" Ibiki warned him with a cold and ruthless voice. There was no indication that Ibiki was joking when saying those words. They were real. But what was also noticeable was that the stern-headed man didn't seem to regret using this tone of his. "Now move your ass and do what you're told!" Ibiki then commanded Sasuke, who then proceeded to follow the rest of the Shadow Squad and out of the room.

As they were alone in the room, Shizune could not help but to glance at Ibiki with a serious expression on her face. "You're entitled to your own emotions, Ibiki. But know this: if you just said this in front of either Lady Tsunade or Naruto, they wouldn't have accepted it" the black-haired woman then told him.

The serious man sighed deeply when hearing this. "I know, Shizune. And believe me, I respect their decisions and belief in redemption" Ibiki said to her while beginning to recall a conversation he had with Ino not long ago. "I's just that I'm worried about Ino's efforts to reach out to him. She is a smart woman, but what if that bastard only ends up manipulating her to do his own scheming?" he then asked while making sure those around him were listening to what was being said.

"Don't worry, commander" Ibiki was interrupted by Shimon speaking to him, which made the commander surprised. His gloomy but loyal subordinate fixed a slight smile towards him. "We understand how attached you've become to Ino since the death of her father. We also know how deeply you care for her well-being" he added while speaking fondly about one of the Interrogation Squad's respected members.

Ibiki could not help but to smile slightly. "I appreciate your support, Shimon" he admitted with a smile of his own.

"Ino's also old enough to take care of herself. That's something she probably understand when trying to get friendly with someone like Sasuke Uchiha" Tonbo spoke up. "While I say her choices sound stupid, it's what she has decided" the bandaged man said, trying to add his own opinion on the matter.

Shizune smiled by seeing that even in a serious group like the Interrogation Squad, there was also hints of comradeship and compassion. But the black-haired woman suddenly snapped as she was reminded about something.

"Oops, I better hurry back to Lady Tsunade and Naruto. They may be starting to wonder why I'm taking so long" she told them and waved goodbye before heading out of the room and up to Tsunade's office.

* * *

 _Inside Tsunade's office, the Hokage Tower_

Naruto had arrived and had begun browsing through some documents, which were mostly about the Leaf Village, as well as domestic affairs in the Land of Fire. It was hard to work with, but Naruto realized that to become a Hokage, he would have to understand it's roles and responsibilities. Tsunade and even Kakashi had been of great help to him on this path.

"So how was your day at the kindergarten?" Tsunade then smugly asked Naruto from her seat.

Surprisingly, Naruto didn't let out a sigh or show any signs of distress. He simply smiled at her with his usual cheeky grin. "It went smoothly. I'll admit that I'm not very experienced with small children, but it was worth the visit. It was cool to see so many curious glances from those youngsters" the blonde-haired man then admitted to her.

Tsunade continued to glance at him smugly. "Could you ever imagine you having a child one day?" she then questioned him.

This time, the blonde-haired man snapped when hearing Tsunade's question. He glanced at her with a deep gasp while sweating. "You're out of your mind, grandma! I mean, how old do you think I am!?" he then asked her.

The Hokage found amusement in this. "Well, you're old enough to make a baby" she said teasingly, much to Naruto's outrage and embarrassment.

The blonde-haired man felt himself slump onto his table in defeat. "I gotta stop falling for her traps so easily" he thought to himself, realizing that he needed to find his own way of teasing Tsunade without getting caught. But as he was thinking about it, Naruto was reminded about the conversation he had with Shino earlier. It made him more curious to know from Tsunade on what happened yesterday while he had a day off. "That reminds me, did something happen between the Hyuuga clan and the Inuzuka clan yesterday?" he asked the blonde-haired woman.

Tsunade glanced at him and simply responded with a nod. "Yes. But I would prefer that we keep this incident only to ourselves, Naruto" she told him. "I had to intervene in order to prevent Hiashi from beating Kiba up to a pulp" the Hokage told him.

Hearing this only made Naruto more curious to find out more. "Yeah, Shino told me that Kiba did something to Hinata. What was it?" the blonde-haired man asked while wanting to know what happened between those two friends. "Were they in a serious argument or something?" he then added another question.

"No, it was not an argument. And it had nothing to do with violence either" the Hokage told him. She let out a deep sigh before answering. "From what I was told, Kiba had been granted entry to the mansion in order to visit Hinata and see if she was doing okay. But when Hiashi entered Hinata's bedroom…he found them both lying on her bed…with Hinata on top of Kiba…..topless" she then revealed with a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

Naruto's jaw dropped to his table, his eyes completely widening in utter disbelief. "You're shitting me….." Naruto said, his voice stunned. "Did I hear you right? Hinata was on top of Kiba while wearing no…." the blonde-haired man stopped speaking as he could see Tsunade simply nod to him as a yes. "My God….I can't believe it….Kiba and Hinata….being intimate with one another?" he then wondered while so many thoughts swirling in his head.

"Yes. Both Hiashi and Tsume Inuzuka, Kiba's mother, have interpreted it as sex. However, I was fortunate enough to be informed about this from Hinata's younger sister Hanabi, which then made me intervene to spare Hiashi from doing whatever foolish retaliations" the blonde-haired woman noted and facepalmed.

Naruto began thinking about it. "I know what you say" the blonde-haired man said, which caused Tsunade to glance at him with a raised eyebrow. "The Hyuuga clan has changed since the end of the war…...but not it's leadership. Even though loosing Neji and fighting Hizashi did leave an impression on him, Hiashi still retained his strict personality and cold attitude towards the other clans" he noted, still recalling the last time when he had seen Hinata. But on the other hand, he knew that Hinata had been saddened when she learned about him choosing Sakura over her. However, Naruto had been able to talk to her and confirm that despite this, they would always be friends. The young blunette had accepted it with joy, and she also was happy for both him and Sakura. That is why Naruto still considered Hinata a friend.

"Anyway, as I said, because of my intervention, I was able to convince both Hiashi and Tsume to have a dialogue over that matter. It will take place today later. Both Kiba and Hinata are expected to participate along with their siblings" Tsunade then told Naruto, who could not help but to smile as he heard that.

"Heh. I gotta learn more from you, grandma. I mean, I also know that being a Hokage also means being a negotiator" the blonde-haired man said to the Hokage, who only chuckled by hearing this. "Anyway, are you also joining the upcoming wedding between Shino and Umeko?" he then went on to ask her.

Tsunade nodded her head in return. "Absolutely. The Aburame clan is a part of the Leaf Vllage. Therefore, we as its leaders are entitled to be attending such celebrations as guests of honor. And let's not forget that Shino is after all, the future head of the Aburame clan" the Hokage then told him.

Seeing this made Naruto grin cheekily in return and he proceeded with browsing the documents on his table. While he was browsing them, Naruto could not help but to wonder whether he and Sakura would eventually get married. The blonde-haired man was in deep thought. It was too early to conclude on something as extravagant as a marriage, yet one thing was certain: Naruto was beginning to feel very intimate towards the pink-haired kunoichi. On the other hand, the relationship they had been having so far, had worked perfectly.

* * *

 _Inside the Hyuuga mansion_

Hanabi Hyuuga was walking in one of the mansion's many corridors. The brown-haired teenager was feeling uncomfortable for a good reason. She had seen many suitors and servents of the Hyuuga clan avoiding the living room. It was because her father was now sitting there, having a conversation with Ko Hyuuga, the same member who had been one of Sasuke's jurors. He had also voted to free him. However, the conversation him and Hiashi was not so pleasant and Hanabi had even decided to eavesdrop on them without getting caught. The young girl was certain that her own father would not use the Byakugan while having his conversation with Ko.

Leaning against the wall, Hanabi crouched, as she listened to what was being said between her father and the young man.

"Do you know why we are having this talk, Ko?" Hiashi asked him sternly, his face possessing strict eyes and a deep frown. The young man did not respond to his question, all the more reason for the clan head to do that for him. "We are having this talk to discuss how incompetent you behave as a member of the Hyuuga clan. Your role as a juror in the recent trial, as well as your failure to keep Hinata safe yesterday, has only demonstrated your incompetence" the brown-haired man said, his voice offering no signs of friendliness.

Ko had so far only glanced down at the floor, having no guts to look up and face his superior. Getting scolded by someone like Hiashi Hyuuga was a nightmare, even to those of the Hyuuga clan itself.

"You are choosing to remain mute and not to respond? You are quite the disappointment, young man" Hiashi noted while glancing at Ko.

This time, Ko had gained enough strength and confidence to speak up his mind. "I know that you resent me for voting to free Sasuke. But I was acting in good faith and voting on my own conscience. That was the job of all us jurors" the young man then insisted to him.

Hiashi remained unfazed. "That criminal does not deserve to walk free after all the crimes he committed. And to think you easily fell for his sob-story" he then said with distaste in his voice.

Feeling constantly poked and badgered, Ko's bright eyes narrowed with anger. "I DIDN'T WANT MORE SHINOBI LIVES TO BE SACRIFICED!" the young man yelled while even slamming his right fist on the table before him. "FOR YEARS, THE HYUUGA CLAN HAS RELIED ON PERFECTION AND AUTHORITY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS! HAVE THEY DONE ANYTHING GOOD? NO!" Ko added, forgetting that it was the clan head he was now yelling at.

Hiashi only narrowed his bright eyes. "Know your place, worm!" he sternly told Ko, who immediately started to regret letting his stress consume him. The young man felt his weakness getting exposed. "Not only did you fail your job as a juror. You also failed to keep Hinata safe by letting that Inuzuka bum in to her room! By doing that, you allowed him to prey upon her sexually!" Hiashi went on telling this with nothing but anger in his voice.

Ko felt himself the need to defend himself. "But it wasn't just me! Tokuma and Hoheto were there as well! I opposed letting him in to Lady Hinata but they…" the young man snapped as he saw Hiashi stand right before him, grabbing Ko by his collar. The young man was filled with fear, as he knew that Hiashi's patience was at its limit.

"I WILL HEAR NO MORE EXCUSES FROM….." Hiashi's angry scolding stopped as he could sense something. It astounded Ko, as he wondered why he suddenly stopped being angry. The middle-aged man let out a deep sigh while shutting his eyes. "Come out, Hanabi. You can't hide from me" he said, loud enough from his youngest daughter to hear.

Hanabi snapped as she heard the voice of her father calling to hear. It was impossible. Hiashi had not activated his Byakugan, yet he possessed talented sensibility. As much as the young teenager tried to hide by crouching and leaning against the wall, it was not enough. She had been caught.

The young teenager shut her eyes closely while standing up to her feet. Without hesitating, Hanabi walked into the living room. She had to admit that she felt some unease at being called into the living room, given the tone in her father's voice. Hanabi looked up, while holding her hands behind her back, trying to act like she didn't know what her father had been telling Ko.

"Father….I…." Hanabi was silenced as her father spoke up.

"Spare me your acts, Hanabi. You should also be sitting beside Ko, given that you are the one who let Kiba Inuzuka inside the mansion while I was away" the clan head said strictly and motioned for the young brunette to take her seat besides Ko. She did that while Ko only faced the ground with nothing but shame in his eyes. Hiashi crossed his arms while glancing at his daughter. "Tell me now, Hanabi. Why did you let him in?" he then questioned her sternly.

Hanabi sighed deeply while glancing up to her father. "Father, he said Kurenai Yuhi had sent him to see if Hinata was doing okay. I believed his words and let him inside. I assure, I never intended for this episode to happen with Hinata. None of us did" the teenage girl said while Ko started to nod his head in agreement of what was being said.

"I see" Hiashi noted, his voice still filled with displeasure. "Nevertheless, I am disappointed in your lack of judgement, young lady" he noted, his mouth still showing a deep frown.

"Lord Hiashi" Ko suddenly spoke up while glancing at his superior with surprisingly serious eyes. "If you really didn't wish for anyone to talk with Lady Hinata about her sadness, why didn't you do it?" the young man then questioned his leader in a confronting manner. Hiashi narrowed his eyes, yet it didn't make Ko back off. This time, the young man was serious about raising this issue with Hinata's own father. "Since Lady Hinata was feeling so depressed, we all expected that you would at least step in and console her, given that you are her father!" he then raised his voice while pointing a finger at the clan head.

Hanabi was stunned by this reaction. "Ko…..what are you….." the teenager could not believe why he was suddenly speaking up his mind with such determination.

Instead of resorting to anger, Hiashi only grunted in return and proceeded to walk away, but not before leaving some words to his youngest daughter and the clansman. "I am going to make preparations for this meeting. I expect you two to do the same thing. None of you are to see Hinata until the meeting starts" he then explained to them both strictly.

"Father, am I to join this meeting with the Inuzukas?" Hanabi asked her father, who simply nodded her head as a yes.

"You along with Ko and other clansmen are to join this meeting. Tsume Inuzuka is expected to be accompanied by her children and other clansmen of the Inuzuka clan" Hiashi told her before he began walking away. "Now if you excuse me, I will need to make the preparations. Do not interrupt me unless it revolves around the upcoming meeting" he added sternly while walking away.

This left only Ko and Hanabi alone in the living room, yet Ko was sighing in distress over what he had just been through with the clan head. But as he was thinking over how painful it was, he was surprisingly called to by Hanabi.

"Thank you" she called to him, making Ko turn and look at her with a surprised glance. The young brunette slightly smiled at the young man. "I'm happy that you stood up for my sister" she then admitted to him.

"Lady Hanabi…." Ko uttered out words in slight surprise. But that surprised glance soon turned into that of a smile. He was beginning to feel some level of confidence in himself. "I was your sister's caretaker for many years. As such, I always wanted her to feel happy. Since she was a child, I knew that people like Naruto and her friends were the ones who made her as such, and not her father" he then admitted with a hint of shame in his voice for saying this about Hiashi.

This made the young girl thinking about something that her sister had told her yesterday. It was something about Kiba having some similarities to Naruto. Hanabi had to admit that she didn't quite understand what Hinata meant, but it became clear to the young girl that her older sister had begun to develop some sort of feelings towards Kiba, in the same manner she had done to Naruto in the past. But was Hinata really serious about it? Hanabi hoped to find out during the meeting taking place later.

* * *

 _Later, outside the Hyuuga mansion_

As the sun began going down, it was time for a meeting between two clans of the Leaf Village: the Inuzuka clan and the Hyuuga clan. Each of those clans had different philosophies when it came to the way of the shinobi. And despite their somewhat icy relationship, the two clans had been able to set aside their differences and work together, especially in times of war. Regardless, the Hyuugas were not particularly fond of the Inuzukas and their "mutts" as their dogs were often referred to. In return, the Inzukua despised the Hyuuga's arrogant and sanctimonious attitude towards other clans and those who were not a Hyuuga.

But right now, they were at the end of a stalemate, as the Hyuugas' won heiress had been caught having an intimate relationship with a young and charming Inuzuka clansman. With encouragement from Lady Tsunade, both leaders had decided to meet and discuss this episode like civilized people. Resorting to violence and war was out of the question. In secret, none of the clans wanted to shed more blood and loose more Inuzuka or Hyuuga lives, as so many had perished during the world war. That is why talks was the more preferred alternative than fighting.

Kiba was grumbling to himself while putting his hands in the pockets of his jacket. The young man with the faded goatee was now joining his mother, older sister and a couple of Inuzuka clansmen in heading to the meeting that had been arranged between Tsume and Hiashi to discuss this recent episode happening between Kiba and Hinata.

"Hey pig, get your ass in gear!" the voice came from the clansman named Goro Inuzuka, who had also red markings on his cheeks, as well as feral eyes. He had black, spikey hair while being dressed in a jounin vest. Kiba gritted his feral teeth in irritation. Goro was also his sister Hana's fiancé, something which only made relationship between them much worse.

"Who're you a calling a pig, dickhead?" Kiba responded back with his foulmouthed language. This caused him to receive a hard banging on his head by his mother Tsume. "Ouch! What the hell!?" he asked and could see his mother and older sister glancing at him with disapproving eyes.

"Remember what I taught you, Kiba. Don't use profanity when you're in such a meeting" Tsume spoke up, her voice calmer than usual.

"Make sure that your temper is also leashed" Hana insisted to him, before facing her fiancé and other accompanying clansmen. "The same goes for you three. We can't mess this up" the young woman said to them.

Goro only shrugged his shoulders. "No need to worry, Hana" he said while reaching his shoulder around the young woman. "I'm always patient when I'm not in combat mode" he then joked, which caused her to laugh.

"You two are really starting to resemble Tsume and her man" the middle-aged man named Gaku Inuzuka said, only to be given a death glare by Tsume herself. This forced Gaku to chuckle. "Relax cuz, I'm only happy on Hana's behalf" he then insisted to her cousin.

"Speaking of which. When are you two gonna get married?" the other clansman named Akira Inuzuka asked the couple. Akira had red markings on his cheeks and feral eyes like his fellow Inuzukas. He had shoulder-length silver hair, which was different from the hairstyles of certain Inuzukas, as they had either black or brown hair. Like Goro and Gaku, Akira wore a jounin vest.

"Save this talk for later, Akira" Tsume told them while motioning her head towards the mansion lying before them. "We have arrived. Now remember, no insults and no violence. We'll show those Hyuugas how civilized we Inuzukas can also be. We even agreed to their demand that we not bring our dogs with us" the brown-haired woman reminded all about their manners before fixing her feral eyes on her son. "And don't forget about your role in this, Kiba. I do not want you to fail once again.

Kiba had his eyes mostly concentrated on the mansion's entrance before they passed through it, noticing some of the guards standing by the door. He closed his eyes and prayed that something wrong had not been happening to Hinata since his last visit.

As the group neared the door, it opened and the Inuzukas were greeted by a young woman with dark green hair. She was also dressed as a maid. This was one of the Hyuuga clan's many maids, as well as a caretake for Hanabi: Natsu Hyuuga. She stood there while bowing her head towards the visitors with respect and formality.

"Welcome, Inuzukas. We have been expecting you" Natsu spoke up with a polite manner, which was somewhat different from that of other Hyuugas. However, Kiba thought her manner of speech was similar to that of Hinata, given her kind personality. "Lord Hiashi and his daughters are already waiting in the meeting room not far from us. Follow me and I will lead you there" the maid said and motioned for the group to follow them.

As they followed Natsu, the group of Inuzukas could notice some of the cold stares they were given by the Hyuugas inside the mansion. They all had the same bright eyes. However, it seemed that their eyes were specifically focused on Kiba. That was not surprising, given what he and Hinata had been doing in her bedroom.

"Tch…..talk about being treated with suspicion" Kiba noted in his head as he and the others followed Natsu to the room they would have this meeting.

As they stood outside, Natsu began banging on the door gently. "Lord Hiashi. Tsume Inuzuka and her company has arrived" she then spoke up loudly, as the white walls were thin enough for them to listen through.

"Bring them in" Hiashi's stern voice could be heard from the other side and Natsu opened the door for the group to enter. She waited until all of them had entered before closing it.

This room had a long table in the middle, as it was separating the two sides from one another. Each were sitting on their own pillow, while refreshments were being served at the table. As Kiba took his seat, he snapped as he saw that Hinata was sitting across the table in the opposite direction. Their eyes met and Hinata's previously frown began changing into that of a smile. But beside her sat Hiashi, his stern eyes piercing through the young Inuzuka like a couple of arrows. Tsume sat beside her son, so that she was in the opposite direction of Hiashi.

Those sitting on the Hyuugas' side were Hanabi, Ko, Hoheto and Iroha, Hyuuga. Iroha was like Ko, Hoheto and Tokuma also a clansman of the Hyuuga clan. Because of Tokuma being on a mission with the Shadow Squad, it would seem that Iroha was the one to step in his role.

But Kiba was also stunned when he had noticed someone else sitting at the Hyuugas' side. It was Kurenai Yuhi, his own sensei. The crimson-eyed woman was fixing a slight frown with her mouth, yet she didn't face her repulsive student. Kiba was stunned to see her being present and he wondered whether Hinata also felt he same way. Before he could look at her, Hiashi began making a coughing sound, this starting this meeting.

"I am surprised you would show up, Tsume Inuzuka" Hiashi told the woman with feral eyes, who was only glancing at him in return. "Truth is, I had almost expected you and your pig of a son to not show up in the mansion" he then admitted to his guests.

"Spare me your sarcastic gestures, Hyuuga" Tsume then spoke up with little enthusiasm in her voice. "We have come here to discuss this episode as civilized shinobis. That is something I know we can both agree on" the brown-haired woman added with an explanation.

This caused Hiashi to raise an eyebrow in return. "Civilized? You? Now that is quite ironic, coming from a clan of aggressive ruffians" he then said, once again not mincing his words with insulting this visitors.

But everyone was stunned as they could see Hinata grab the right arm of her father while staring at him with dispassion. It surprised Kiba, as she had never seen her acting so strict and determined towards her own father.

"Enough of this, father! Quit degrading these shinobis and show them respect, as they show respect to you" the bluenette told her father while he only glanced at her with his usual stern glance. Yet despite being given this glance, Hinata remained defiant in front of him. After a few seconds, Hinata let go of his grip on her father, yet she continued to stare at him with her dispassionate eyes.

Kiba was stunned to see this type of Hinata, as he always knew her to be a shy person. It also surprised him by the fact that Hinata was willing to speak up against her own father. Maybe this was something that had also changed with Hinata due to the war. Then again, Hinata was no longer the same person with the weak confidence as she was known to have once.

Tsume mused to herself. "Hmmm….I'm glad that not all Hyuugas have the same level of arrogance in their veins" she noted in her head while seeing this.

"Anyway, after talking with Kurenai Yuhi, I have learned many interesting details about this visit your son had yesterday" Hiashi spoke up while briefly taking a glance at Kiba, who only shrugged his shoulders in return. "I know that he was sent here only to talk to Hinata. And I suppose they had this talk. However, I am very disturbed by the fact that they were doing when I came back to the mansion" he then added, his eyes narrowing while glancing at Kiba.

"You talk as if one of them is at fault here" Tsume spoke up. "You better stop searching for someone to take out your anger on, Hiashi. Neither Hinata or Kiba is at fault for starting something which is common amongst us as humans" she then added while smiling at Hinata, who in turn formed a smile of her own.

Hiashi could not help but to grit his own teeth in slight anger. "Your son was trying to rape my own daughter! How do you explain that this act was voluntarily!?" he then snapped at him.

"Enough, Hiashi!" the voice came from Kurenai, who sighed deeply before continuing. "I thought Hinata had already told you of what happened yesterday. But it seems to me that you would rather bend the truth to suit your own absurd accusation against Kiba" the crimson-eyed woman pointed out to him, thus forcing Hiashi to glance over to her in slight irritation.

"Kurenai-sensei" Kiba suddenly asked his teacher, who smiled lightly in return. "Do you know everything that happened yesterday?" he then asked her.

Kurenai nodded her head as a yes. "Of course. Hinata was willing to talk to me about it" she said while motioning her head at Hinata, who was also listening to the conversation carefully. The bluenette also nodded her head to confirm Kiba's question. "But Kiba…let me ask you something? Do you have feelings towards Hinata?" she then asked him in a serious manner.

The brown-haired man felt shock as he was asked about this from his own teacher. Remembering what he had told his family yesterday, Kiba faced Hinata, who was also surprised to hear Kurenai's question. The young man sighed deeply before answering.

"Hinata. I've never really told you this before. But I think since we're now here and that our parents are joining us, it is time for me to come up with a confession towards you" the brown-haired man admitted before forming a slight smile. "The truth of the matter is…I've had some feelings for you…..ever since we met at the Academy years ago. But back then, you were more interested in Naruto and I always tried to impress you with my skills. But in the end, your heart belonged to Naruto" Kiba told her while Hinata was stunned to hear this.

"Kiba…." The bluenette uttered out his name lowly.

Kiba felt himself nervous and embarrassed when saying this, but he knew that Hinata would need to know his feelings, not matter the cost. "Over the years we'd been teammates, I had always considered out relationship to be that of a brother and a sister, as I always was supportive of your goals and you the opposite. And after seeing you being in pain after Naruto choosing Sakura, I felt like I could help you once again. But something happened that I thought would never come into my head" Kiba explained while facing Hinata directly. "Hinata, yesterday, I felt so attracted to you. Your kindness, your voice, your touch, it made me heal all the wounds that I had received from all the trash-talking and slaps I had received in the park. Your beauty even made me realize that you were the one I had once desired to be my girlfriend. Even as I slept yesterday, I could not stop thinking about you" he then admitted, his own cheeks beginning to blush slightly.

Hinata's own cheeks began blushing as well, and she could even start feeling some sort of attraction towards Kiba as he kept telling her those feelings of his. Her bright eyes never left the Kiba, as he kept confessing his feelings towards her.

"I like you, Hinata. You're so beautiful…so gentle…..and so kind-hearted" Kiba then said, while slowly standing up from his seat, with Hinata doing the same thing. The two teammates began looking at each other, each of them having their cheeks reddened. Kiba did not want to emberass himself more, so he decided to suck it up and ask Hinata about something. "So Hinata…do you wanna go out…sometimes? I mean…..only if you're…." Kiba was interrupted as he felt Hinata reach out and holding his hand.

The bluenette kept smiling at her, her bright eyes starting to enamor the man with the faded goatee. Kiba was about to open his mouth to compliment her, only for Hinata to hold a finger against his mouth, thus stopping him. Hinata nodded her head with while feeling so overjoyed inside herself.

"Oh Kiba, I will be more than happy to go out with you. I'm beginning to like you even more" the bluenette then admitted while she held onto Kiba's hands. "You're the one who helped me chase out my misery. Now, it is time I return the favor" Hinata said.

Kiba raised an eyebrow in return by what he was hearing from her. "What do you mean by…." Kiba was in for a surprise as his mouth was caught by Hinata's. Unable to resist her beauty, Kiba gave into her and returned the kiss, with the two friends who holding each other.

The Inuzuka side was beginning to smile as they saw those two kissed, thus conforming that they did indeed have feelings towards one another. But they were not the only ones. Even now, Hanabi, Natsu and the other Hyuugas could be seen with smiles on their faces as they noticed how happy Hinata was behaving whenever she was around Kiba. It only confirmed that she really loved him.

While Hiashi did not smile, his expression was no longer that of his usual strictness. Rather it was that of curiosity. This was due to the fact that he could see Hinata no longer being sad. It made him think about the harsh words she had said to him yesterday, in which Hinata had apologized to off course.

Kiba and Hinata stopped their kiss and glanced at each other with blushing cheeks and smiles. Kiba could not believe it, but he didn't feel any signs of impulsiveness inside of him. Rather, it was that of desire. He desired someone to love and have feelings towards. And Hinata was the right woman he had been searching for all his life.

Kurenai smiled from the sidelines as she watched those two glancing at each other like lovers. Somehow it reminded her about her relationship with Asuma and how they were managed to make a child together. But whether Kiba or Hinata would do the same thing remained uncertain for now. Even so, she mused to herself.

"I always knew that Hinata had feelings for Naruto. But I also knew Kiba had something similar towards her as well. But Hinata was mostly focused on Naruto. Now that he has chosen Sakura, Hinata has finally managed to find someone who had been able to pull her out of the depression as Naruto had done once. And that was Kiba" the crimson-eyed woman remarked in her head as she watched those two hold hands as boyfriend and girlfriend. This didn't mean they would get married, but it brought a new form of relationship between her students. It had now emerged in the wake of the deadly war. Love was the new power.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It told us about Sasuke in the Shadow Squad, as well as the meeting between the Inuzukas and the Hyuugas. We also saw how Naruto was doing his job as an assisting administrator in Tsunade's office. The next chapter will tell us about the mission Sasuke is sent on, and how he deals with his new comrades. It will also take us back to the Sand Village and show us how Shikamaru is doing with his diplomatic mission. I think I also want to have Lee and Tenten being updated, as I don't want them to be left out. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. And by the way, many of the characters in the clans are either from the manga-exclusive, anime-exclusive or my own original. I can tell you that Asami Nakano, Umeko Aburame, Goro Inuzuka and Akira Inuzuka are my OCs.**


	6. Under the Hawk's Eye

**Author's note: For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you not to read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Under the Hawk's Eye**

 _In a village near the Great Naruto Bridge, the Land of Fire_

Having been given their first mission, the Shadow Squad had arrived at the village right before the Great Naruto Bridge. Since the end of the war, a village had been built right before the bridge itself. The village somehow served as a gateway to the bridge, which would then lead travelers to the Land of Waves, which was a small island nation. Although the nation's wealth had briefly been stopped by the world war, it soon skyrocketed in its aftermath. Even now, tourists from faraway nations had begun buying mansion or luxury apartments to spend their holidays. The nation had also become a leading maritime nation, due to its location and the fishing industry.

But right now, the members of the Shadow Squad found themselves hanging around in an alley, where they made sure that no one was following them. Commander Yugao Uzuki had instructed them to listen what her new orders were. They all wore their masks and black-coated outfits, which was different from those worn by ordinary ANBUs.

"Alright everyone. We're right near the Great Naruto Bridge" the purple-haired lady told them while making sure everyone was listening. "Our next move here is simple. You are to search this village for any potential clues to the recent shipping activities. However, we can't be sure if this was one of those ships' stop" Yugao added while explaining what their orders were.

Asami saluted before her. "Should we split up into many different groups, commander?" she asked her, who only nodded her head in return.

"Yes. If we do that, it'll make it faster for us to discover clues. But tread lightly, even a village like this is filled with criminals. Try to conceal your identities" the purple-haired woman said while making sure they were listening. "I'll now begin dividing you into different groups. Haul, Vision and Horncrest, you three will search the docks. We'll meet here later" she told them and they saluted before vanishing from the scene. Yugao continued. "Bigman, Scarabmonger, Deathhawk, you three will search the local bar, and don't slack off" she then sternly told them.

Sasuke simply saluted in return, but both Tatsuma Aburame and Shito Akimichi felt somewhat not pleased about being put on the same team as Sasuke. But Shito was the only one who seemed to be the one complaining the most, whilst Tatsuma remained calm and.

"Great. I get stuck with the ex-criminal?" Shito said while crossing his arms and facing Sasuke. He didn't necessarily seem to pay attention to what the chubby man just said. But Yugao glanced at Shito and he was forced to correct his statement. "Alright, alright, I'll do the job! You don't have to intimidate me" he said and the three vanished from their spots.

When they were gone, Yugao went over to the man with the codename Woodpecker and put a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, you know the drill. Follow them. But make sure that you're not discovered. And keep a close eye on Sasuke. If he does anything outside his orders, let me know" she then told him, forcing Woodpecker to nod his head as a yes in return. But Yugao was not finished just yet. "And expect him to at least take his job seriously. Tatsuma seem reluctant to work with him while Shito is just lazy. You should take that in notice" she then added to the masked man, who couldn't help but to find this amusing.

"Hmm, this job will be a piece of cake to me. I'll be watching him" Woodpecker spoke with a very familiar voice, although it was probably unknown to Sasuke. "You guys stay safe for now. I'll let you know when I need you" he then added before disappearing.

Sasuke and his "comrades" in the Shadow Squad were now standing on the top of a nearby building, looking down at the restaurant they were told to investigate. So far, the street below them was filled with bustling, as many people entered or exited the shops. However, something happened with Shito as he sniffed in the air.

"Yum, you smell that, partner?" Shito asked Tatsuma while pointing his finger at the restaurant. "That's the small of fried crabs, lobsters and steak on a grill. I say we go inside and grab ourselves a bite" the chubby man then suggested to him, completely ignoring Sasuke.

"Are you serious? The commander told us to not slack off" he replied, yet Shito didn't seem to care what Tatsuma just said.

"Screw her! There's nothing to find in this damn village anyway!" he pointed out while throwing his hands in the air. He then refocused his attention on watching the restaurant. "And besides. This trip from the Leaf Village to this place has made me hungry. We deserve to have some relaxation" the chubby man added to his explanation, yet Tatsuma was still not buying it.

Sasuke was beginning to survey the restaurant and he suddenly decided to tell his comrades about his suggestion. "Hey. How about we infiltrate the restaurant by entering that window?" he then asked them while pointing his finger at one of the building's windows, which was currently open. He also made sure that they both were getting what he was saying. "It's best if we not reveal ourselves by walking straight into the restaurant. Attracting unwanted attention will only ruin our plan" he then added to his explanation.

Shito only crossed his arms. "Yeah right! Like I'll need ideas from an ex-criminal" he said in his usual gruff voice. "You might as well be talking to my hand" he then added with his usual tone.

"As much as I hate to agree with him, he does make a point" Tatsuma spoke to Shito while moving one of his sleeves so that insects came out from him. "I can send my bugs to scour the building for any potential clues or evidences" he then explained while showing them his bugs.

Shito snapped behind his mask. "Hey! Whose side are you on, anyway!?" he then asked Tatsuma, who had his attention focused on Sasuke.

"But let me just clarify something to you, Uchiha. The commander may have given placed me in charge of watching you, but I have no interest in babysitting you" he then warned Sasuke, who merely glanced at him. "If you make one wrong move on either one of us, I'll make sure you regret it. That's the only thing I'll help you with as a shinobi" the Aburame added with a warning directed towards him.

For some reason, Sasuke only shrugged his shoulders and turned his back on him. "You know, it's actually me who should be having a grudge against you, ex-Root member. Isn't that what you said you were, Aburame?" he told him sternly while taking off his mask to glance at Tatsuma, thus showing him and Shito his Sharingan. Both members snapped as they could see those eyes. "I find it hard to forgive those who served under Danzo Shimura. And considering that you were his underling once, I believe you know the truth about who he really was" he then said while facing the Aburame with slight anger in his eyes.

Tatsuma felt some hint of discomfort within himself as Sasuke mentioned Danzo. He knew what had happened to the founder of Root while he briefly was the Sixth Hokage. The young man stood his ground, even preparing to draw out a kunai in case of Sasuke making his move.

"So you want revenge against me? Well here is your chance!" Tatsuma told him while facing Sasuke, who continued to glare at him. "But know this, Uchiha! Your clan was cursed. Only a few of you managed to get rid of this Curse of Hatred! Still, that means you're nothing but a pack of….." the Aburame stopped as he could see Sasuke simply walk away, something which only made the man in sunglasses snap. "Wait, what are you doing?" he then asked Sasuke.

"I'm trying to do my job. And as for my vengeance…..it already has been achieved…..with Danzo's death" Sasuke responded before glancing over his shoulder to face Tastuma with disapproving eyes. "And besides…you're not even worth killing. That goes for all of those who served in Root. Now unless you want to help me with finding clues, stay back and shut up" the raven-haired man rudely responded while jumping off from the roof.

This left Shito and Tatsuma alone on the building, wondering what just transpired. But Shito only grunted and crossed his arms with displeasure.

"What an asshole! Who does that snotty punk think he is!? I don't understand what Chouji sees in him!" Shito remarked while mentioning Chouji, who was the heir to being the head of the Akimichi clan.

But Tatsuma was having different thoughts as he began thinking about the words that Sasuke had said to him. They were similar to those said to him from his fellow members of the Aburame clan. He remembered how he was even distrusted amongst his clanmates due to his past membership in Root. The young man sighed deeply as his head was filled with so many thoughts.

"Even he realizes what pathetic choices I've done in the past?" Tastuma wondered, much to the confusion of Shito. "I guess he and I have something in common" he then admitted to his comrade, although Shito merely crossed his arms while looking away from what he was being told.

"Whatever" he said with no enthusiasm in his voice.

Without getting spotted by the citizens or anyone else, Sasuke entered the open window and discovered that he had arrived in a bathroom, indicating one thing. Sasuke was in an apartment above the restaurant. But still, it was the same building. The first thing the raven-haired man did was to sneak at the door, trying to listen if there was anyone on the other side. From what Sasuke could tell, there was nobody on the other side.

With careful steps, Sasuke opened the door, while holding onto his sword with his right hand. Even though it was no sound on the other side, it didn't mean that the apartment could be empty. The raven-haired man began wondering whether someone had expected him to enter. When the door opened, he could see that it showed him a hallway and it was empty. Sasuke slowly exited the bathroom and started walking, until he could see something that caught his attention. It was blood!

Sasuke could see a trail of blood on the wooden floor before him. It made him slightly wary, as the trail of blood led him to the living room. Clucthing to his sword, Sasuke leaned against the wall, preparing to attack whoever this blood belonged to. He jumped and rolled onto the ground while drawing his sword, being prepared to attack whatever it was. To his own surprise, Sasuke didn't find any person in the living room, but he saw something that really managed to catch his interest.

On the white wall before him, there was a large drawing of a symbol in red. But Sasuke knew that symbol very well. He took off his mask and revealed his shocking eyes to what he was seeing before him.

"No…..it can't be….." Sasuke uttered out those words lowly, as he could see that this symbol belonged to none other than the clan he belonged to: the Uchiha clan. But it was drawn in red, yet Sasuke eventually understood that the symbol was written in blood. "What is this….." he then added while searching the living room for clues to this horrendous drawing.

Sasuke could see that there was no blood on the furniture in the living room, expect for one spot. It was a small table where a kunai was stuck into it. The table had a white circle drawn on it and it almost looked as if someone had cut off a hand. Whatever the reason, it was so depraved seeing blood on a kunai.

As Sasuke continued searching, he suddenly came across a chair in which some form of paper could be seen on it. The raven-haired man took his time before touching the paper with his own hands. While it had some blood on it, there was also something written on the paper. At first, it seemed like a letter, but as Sasuke began reading, he discovered that it wasn't as such.

 _You have done well, my precious children. We finally took care of that damned trader who had plans on exposing our plans to the Leaf Village. Had they been notified, it would have been a huge problem to us. Now, return to the Island of Tides before you are discovered. Our associates in the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth has some great news for us. And avoid getting caught by Leaf ninjas. None of those delusional bastards will stop my goal of destroying the village of fools who value the Will of Fire. I will succeed where the others Uchihas has failed. Neither Madara nor Obito were worthy of fulfilling that destiny. But I will! I will prove to those bastards who left me to die how I measure up! I will also spit upon their gravestones when I incinerate the Leaf Village! But listen to my command. Leave this village and make sure there are no witnesses_

 _Your sincere master and patriarch: the Crimson Dragon_

Sasuke dropped the paper on the floor, his eyes filled with realization. He knew understood what the drawing on the wall meant. Someone had indeed been killed here. That would explain the trails of blood, as well as the red drawing of the Uchiha clan symbol. But above all, he knew a suspect: this so-called Crimson Dragon. But Sasuke wondered who this person was to possess some knowledge about Madara and Obito.

"Feeling shocked about this revelation?" a question suddenly came up to Sasuke, who quickly reacted by reaching for his blade and turned around to see who it was. He stopped, as he could see it was Woodpecker, alongside Tatsuma and Shito. "Woah! Slow down, Deathhawk. It's just me, Woodpecker" the shinobi added while speaking with a voice that was very familiar to the raven-haired man.

Sasuke only snorted while pulling back his blade. "Your outfit don't fool me. I can easily see through your cover, Yamato" he then spoke up sternly.

This caused the masked shinobi to actually chuckle in amusement. He even removed his mask, thus showing him who he really was. And yes, this was indeed Yamato, who had often been considered a caretaker for Naruto due to his dangerous abilities. The brown-haired man only smiled while waving his hand at him in a friendly manner.

"I'm amazed that you saw through my outfit and codename. I'll give you points for that, Sasuke Uchiha" Yamato revealed in his usual gentle manner, despite knowing of Sasuke's previous reputation.

But Sasuke was not impressed. "Spare me your prattles. Why are you here?" he then said with little enthusiasm in his voice.

"Hey! You got some nerves demanding answers from…." Shito's outburst was interrupted by Tatsuma, who silenced the chubby man by punching him on his left arm. "Hey…...that hurt!" he then told him, yet Tatsuma didn't seem to care.

"Care to tell me what your deal is?" Sasuke asked Yamato directly.

Yamato formed a frown with his mouth as he watched the paper that Sasuke was holding. "It would be fair to me to tell you what the Shadow Squad has been interested in for the last few months. And we had waited for you to be released before he would tell you what we're really after" the brown-haired man revealed, yet Sasuke remained unimpressed. He didn't seem to believe in what Yamato was saying, it forced Yamato to chuckle slightly. "So, you still don't believe me, huh? Very well, it would be best if we told you more. Wouldn't you agree, commander?" Yamato said while suddenly looking over his shoulder.

Sasuke's black eyes widened in surprise, as Yugao, Asami and Sai were now standing behind Yamato and the other two members. They all took off their masks, thus revealing their faces. Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration, as he felt he had been played.

"Looks like we fooled you, ex-criminal" Yugao said with a taunt in her voice.

"I should've known you were hiding something from me" he noted as he saw each of them having different reactions. Yugao was smiling smugly, Sai was smiling friendly, while Asami was frowning deeply.

"It couldn't be helped. In the Shadow Squad, you have to earn our trusts" the purple-haired woman said before forming her mouth into a deep frown. "Regardless, that letter, this drawing and the blood in the apartment only confirms that a murder had taken place here. Apparently, it was a trader of the Land of Waves, who had been working with this Crimson Dragon. He realized his mistakes, and had intended on turning himself in to Leaf Village, given that this criminal had set his eyes upon the village" Yugao said while looking at the drawing in blood.

"Yeah, and based upon this written text, it is without a doubt that this person has some form of grudge against the Leaf Village. And considering that he knew about the dangerous plans of Madara and Obito Uchiha, the Crimson Dragon must have some form of ties to the Uchiha clan" Yamato explained while facing Sasuke.

Sasuke simply gritted his teeth in anger over what he was hearing. "How can you assume it was an Uchiha?" he asked lowly, almost loosing himself to anger. "Are all of you that delusional!? The entire Uchiha clan was massacred! None of them survived!" he snapped, before facing the ground, given that such history continued to haunt the young man. Sasuke seemed to be very sad for some reason and the other Shadow Squad members could see that. "The only survivors left were me…and Itachi….who also was a victim of this…..hell" he spoke up lowly, showing no signs of anger in his voice.

"We have never forgotten that incident, Sasuke" the raven-haired man's voice snapped as he could see Sai speaking to him in a surprisingly friendly manner. Why was he continuing to show this kindness? "Believe me, most of us will never forget the tragedy that fell on the Uchiha clan. Even I have begun to understand some of Itachi's own motives for committing these acts" the pale-skinned man noted.

Yamato mused by what he was hearing. "You have really changed, Sai" Yamato noted in his thoughts before fixing his eyes on Sasuke, this time showing some hint of seriousness. "Sasuke, you said that you have a hard time forgiving those who served under Danzo, am I right? Well I also have a hard time forgiving you" the brown-haired man said.

Sasuke glanced at him unfazed. "All of you say that. Is that supposed to surprise me?" the raven-haired man asked him.

"It's not about that" Yamato revealed, thus forcing Sasuke to concentrate on him specifically. "As you may know, Orochimaru committed malicious acts upon children. He was a madman and almost a pedophile. I was among his many victims. And I don't forget that you once served under him" he then pointed out to Sasuke.

Despite hearing this, Sasuke remained unimpressed. "So what are you waiting for?" he suddenly told Yamato who was stunned to hear this. "If you desperately want me dead, my not…." Sasuke was interrupted when Yugao suddenly stood between them and blocked their paths.

"Alright! Break it up! We're losing our track on what's really relevant here!" the purple-haired woman sternly told everybody, making sure that she got the attention. She then turned her attention to Sasuke. "Look, right now, all that we want is to concentrate on finding out who this Crimson Dragon really is. And that means you also need to prioritize on the matter. Spare your personal vendettas for later" she then told him.

Seeing this, Sasuke couldn't help but to smirk at her. "My sentiments exactly" he said.

Yamato couldn't help but to smile slightly at Sasuke, although the raven-haired man didn't seem to take notice of him. "Kakashi's right. He does deserve a chance in redemption. Stubborn as he is, he will come to realize what's best for him" the brown-haired man noted in his head smugly.

Asami approached her superior. "What do we do now, commander?" she asked her with a formal bow.

"We rendezvous with the others back in the alley. They should be able to at least have some clues to what has happened in this village. I would also like to hear from what you, Vision and Horncrest learned at the docks" Yugao told the teal-haired woman before taking her glance at the Uchiha symbol being written in blood. "Obviously, this is the work of a foe who harbors a great resentment towards the Leaf Village" she added grimly to her explanation.

* * *

 _Inside the Leaf Village hospital, Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

Since the end of the war, the hospital had changed into a tall and imposing building, which was quite different from the old one. It almost resembled a skyscraper. Many new modern technologies had been acquired by the hospital and it helped revolutionize the professions of, medics, doctors and nurses. It also served as the HQ of the Leaf Village's Medic Corps. Due to her natural talent in healing, Tsunade had been appointed as the hospital's president. But she also had someone take care of the hospital. And it was her apprentice: Sakura Haruno. She was currently the hospital's vice-president. Many of those working at the hospital knew that when it wouldn't take long before Tsunade would eventually hand over the management of the hospital to Sakura.

"So how do the newbies fare?" one of the doctors, the four-eyed man named Kusushi asked his colleague: the nurse named Oyone. They along with another doctor named Hosho were now walking in a corridor, heading towards a room which was the place for their breaks. "I bet you must be one, lucky girl to be having these folks under your wing" he then added smugly.

Oyone sighed deeply as she heard this. "You say that like it's easy. But I assure you, it isn't what you think it is" the woman said with a hint of stress in her voice. "Many of these newcomers lack skills and the common sense as medics. They also don't know how to work under pressure as we are. That said, I don't think they're bad just…inexperienced" she then explained while trying to sound as constructive as possible.

"But that's part of being new to system" Hosho told her with a gentle smile. "You have to understand that they will become more professional in the future. They just need more time. I mean, just look at Sakura" he then pointed out to her.

Oyone glanced at him with a questionable eyebrow being raised. "Seriously? Being supervised by me or being supervised by Lady Tsunade are two different things" she told him.

Kusushi only chuckled by what he was hearing. "Well that settles it. It seems to me that you're the one being inexperienced" he then told her and Hosho joined him in finding this argument amusing.

The nurse grumbled while feeling like a laughing stock. Her friends continued laughing, even as they entered the room where they usually spent their breaks. But something else was taking place in a room not far from where the three medics had just gone into.

Inside that room, the three doctors, Kumadori, Ugai and Mogusa were now caught in an argument about how to treat an injured man's left leg and right arm. But Mogusa was not necessarily involved in this argument, as he was basically standing on the sidelines and trying to mediate between Ugai and Kumadori. Apparently, Ugai was furious for some methods he didn't agree with Kumadori.

"You're doing it wrong, Kumadori! This man needs more than just bandages!" Ugai shot at him impatiently.

Kumadori only crossed his arms while glaring back at Ugai. "For crying out loud, Ugai. He has a broken arm and leg! What more can you do to help things out!?" he then snapped back at him.

Mogusa sighed deeply while seeing his colleagues argue like a couple of children and it somewhat embarrassed him as a medic-nin. "Why do I always get sidelined in situations like this?" he wondered while facepalming at the scene.

"Ugai, Kumadori!" the two bickering doctors plus Mogusa snapped as they could hear feminine yet strong voice coming from behind them. They turned around and could see none other than Sakura herself. The pinkette was now wearing the white coat she always wore during her job at the hospital. Despite her sweet and feminine charms, she could be quite the general when it came to disciplining doctors or nurses who did not take this seriously. "You two are making so much noise that I could even hear it outside the corridor" she sternly told them.

"Lady Sakura" Mogusa spoke up lowly, only confirming that this man had nothing but uttermost respect towards the kunoichi with pink hair. He then began lowering his head in shame. "Forgive me, they wouldn't heed my advices to cease this bickering" he then told her.

Sakura nodded at him with a sweet smile. "I'm not mad at you, Mogusa" she told him before fixing her emerald eyes upon Ugai and Kumadori, even narrowing them as she glanced at the two doctors. Both of them felt slightly intimidated, as they knew she could be dangerous despite her beauty. "But you two on the other hand. Have you forgotten where you are? This is a hospital, not a bar. Therefore, I expect you two to stop this foolishness and put the interests of the patients before your own. Is that clear?" she then explained while making sure both doctors got that cleared in their heads.

Both Ugai and Kumadori saluted before her in return. "Yes ma'am!" they both said together, knowing better than to speak up against her. Sakura formed a smug smile by seeing this.

"Glad to hear it. Now remember, put the patient's interests ahead of your own. I would prefer not to school two grown up medics like you" she told herm sternly before glancing at Mogusa with a more friendlier expression on her face. "You may stay here and help them as well, Mogusa. If those two continue to argue, just me know" she then told him while exiting the door.

Mogusa bowed his head in a formal manner. "It shall be done, Lady Sakura. Thank you for the assistance" he then told her while expressing his graduate, which only made Sakura laugh in return.

"Don't thank me. I should be thanking you for showing the courtesy here" the pinkette nurse told him before disappearing.

As Sakura kept walking in the corridor, she was stopped as she could hear someone call her name from behind. She turned around and could see the medic by the name of Migaki run straight towards her. It seemed he was quite in a hurry and even started panting in order to catch his breath. Sakura smiled at him.

"Migaki. Why the rush?" she then asked her and Migaki looked up to her and cleared his throat.

"Lady Sakura. One of your friends has been checked in to the hospital" he revealed, thus shocking Sakura. Migaki nodded his head as a confirmation. "Yes, Rock Lee has been checked in" he then added to his revelation.

"Lee…." Sakura uttered out one of her friend's name in a worried tone. "Where is he?" she then asked him.

"He's currently in room F7 on the sixth floor. I heard his girlfriend is also there. She sent me to ask if you could come to them" the doctor said.

Sakura nodded her head in return. "Right. I'm on my way" she said and headed towards the stairs that would take her to sixth floor, given that she was currently on the eight floor. Migaki followed her suit.

Once inside room F7, Sakura entered and was stunned to see Lee lying on his bed while his stomach was bleeding seriously. But a couple of nurses were trying to fix that with the help of healing and bandaging. The pinkette could not believe her own eyes, as she saw Lee lying there so unconscious. He was being supported by a oxygen machine, in which he could be heard breathing.

"Oh my God! Lee!" Sakura exclaimed in horror, and she saw Tenten siting on a chair beside Lee's bed sobbing into her hands. Sakura saw it as her duty to comfort her friend. She comforted her with a hug. "Don't cry, Tenten. I'm here. As long as he's in the hospital, Lee is guaranteed to be treated for injuries" she then told the brunette.

Tenten hugged Sakura back, before letting go of her grip to wipe out the tears in her eyes. "I'm so stressed out, Sakura. I don't know what to do anymore!" she then said while sniffing.

"Calm down, Tenten. Tell me, what happened to Lee?" Sakura then asked her in a gentle manner.

Tenten seemed to have enough courage to answer her friend, and so she did. "You know that hole that you saw in my shop yesterday?" she asked the pinkette and Sakura nodded in return. "Lee was carrying a box of weapons up the ladder and once again, he tripped. Lee almost fell through that hole, but he managed to grab the edges just in time to hold himself. But then came the weapons. One of the weapons that was in that box was a spiked mace….and…I can't even say it" the brunette was on the breaking point, and Sakura knew that she had heard more than enough from her.

"That's awful! But I assure you, Lee will be cured" Sakura insisted to her before checking out on Lee. "How deep was this injury?" she then asked the nursed who were bandaging him.

"His stomach was almost crushed by the mace. It left him a deep hole!" one of the nurses told her. "However, we can still hear him breathing, which only confirms that Lee has somewhat been knocked into unconsciousness. I don't know how long he'll be like that, though" she added while concentrating on healing Lee's toned stomach.

Sakura nodded her head at the nurse in return while forming a smile. "Very good. I entrust you to treat Lee's wounds and make sure he's alright" she told them and they both agreed to what she just said to them. Looking over her shoulder, Sakura could see that Tenten was still feeling let down. This convinced the pinkette to go and help her emotionally.

The brunette looked up, her eyes still having some tears left. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm probably wasting your time with things such as…" Tenten was stunned as she could see Sakura land her hand on Tenten's.

"Don't even say such, Tenten. None of this is your fault. You did the right thing by coming to us. That's what a hospital is for. And rest assured, Lee will be fine." Sakura insisted to her, trying to lift up her spirits. An idea suddenly got in her head. "We can both have a talk about this in private if you want. Or do you wanna sit here with Lee?" the pinkette then asked her.

Tenten formed a slight smile as she heard that. "I appreciate it, Sakura. Right now, I could really feel like someone to talk with" she admitted to her.

Sakura smiled as Tenten rose up. "Then let's go up to my office" she said before directing her attention to the two nurses treating Lee. "Tenten will just have a talk with me at my office. You two keep treating Lee" she then told the nurses, who did as they were told to.

Inside Sakura's office, the two friends were now alone and could talk to each other on more personal matters. Tenten seemed to have stopped having tears in her eyes and it made Sakura happy for her. Sakura's consoling seemed to have helped her. However, now that Tenten was no longer feeling sad, it was without a doubt that her anger and frustration would start to take hold on her.

"So. How do you feel now, Tenten?" Sakura asked her kindly like any friend would.

Tenten groaned in annoyance while facepalming. "I'm at the end of my rope here, Sakura. I tried to give Lee a chance in maturing here, but he keeps screwing up! I don't know what to do anymore! That only leaves me with one choice" she told her.

Sakura was very intrigued by hearing this. "And what is that, Tenten?" she asked her while wanting to know more from her.

"I can no longer be the Mrs. Nice Girl anymore, Sakura. When he wakes up and recovers from his injuries, I'll give him an ultimatum. Either he changes and matures, or it's over between us, pronto! I'm tired of constantly making myself feel stupid!" Tenten exclaimed, this time showing signs of frustration within herself.

The young pinkette could not help but to feel worried about what her friend just said. "Are you certain that will work, Tenten?" she asked him.

"IT'S NOT ABOUT WHETHER IT WILL WORK OR NOT! I JUST WANT LEE TO TAKE THING SERIOUSLY, FOR GOD'S SAKE!" Tenten yelled out in frustration while standing up from her chair. But the young brunette immediately saw the error of her behavior and she sat down while feeling ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I really didn't mean to shout to loud" she then apologized with a low-volume voice.

Sakura gave her a smile. "It's alright. I know you didn't mean to be angry. I understand your frustration with Lee" the pink-haired woman said, although she began frowning as she thought about the black-haired man with the bushy eyebrows. "But I just hope you know what you're doing when you give him this ultimatum. I'm also a good friend of Lee, and I don't wanna see him being sad. But I can't intervene here. This is between you and him" Sakura spoke up her mind about Lee.

Tenten nodded her head in return. "I know that. And believe me, I'm not saying that I hate him. That's a way more powerful word to use. And I really want for us to have a friendship between us, given that we were teammates" the brunette insisted to Sakura. "But what tires me, is when I'm the only one who ends up making concessions in this relationship, and not him. We are to stay like this, he must do the same thing. If not, this relationship will be so one-sided" Tenten added to her explanation.

"Well. If this is what you think is best, then I'll trust in your abilities, Tenten" Sakura said with a smile, beginning to see what Tenten really wanted with her boyfriend.

Suddenly, the monitor on Sakura's desk began peeping and Sakura pushed the button to listen what it was. The sound of the receptionist could be heard through the monitor. "Lady Sakura. Master Naruto wishes to see you" it said.

The pinkette was surprised, yet pleased about hearing this. "Bring him to my office, I'm waiting for him" Sakura told the monitor before facing Tenten. "Naruto is probably on a break while visiting Lee. Do you mind if he and I have a talk to ourselves here?" she then said to the brunette, who nodded her head in return.

"Sure, you two deserve some privacy" Tenten said while standing up from the chair and heading to the door. But she did turn around to look at Sakura one last time before exiting her office. "I'll be down to see how Lee's doing. You two may have fun for now" she said before exiting.

After 15 seconds, Naruto entered Sakura's office while wearing his usual smile. Sakura often found herself feeling enamored of Naruto's smile whenever she saw it. The pink-haired nurse rose up from her seat and headed straight towards her boyfriend, soon embracing him in a passionate kiss. Naruto himself was caught by surprise, yet he returned the favor by holding around her waist. But given that they were in the hospital, they couldn't be standing like this forever.

"So, you're on a break now?" Sakura asked him smugly, forcing Naruto to grin cheekily in return. This was also something that made Sakura love Naruto sometimes. He had the ability to cheer her up.

"Yeah, but I'll only be there for about one hour before heading home. But I guess the same thing can't be said for you" Naruto said.

Sakura put her arms on her hips. "Give me a break, Naruto. This has been something I have longed for: to be able to help others in need. And besides, you and I have gone out a plenty of times before" she insisted to him.

Naruto chuckled in return. "I know. I'm just teasing ya" he said, before forming a frown with his own mouth. "Speaking of others in need, I noticed that Bushy Brows had been checked in here. Is he alright?" the blonde-haired man asked the pinkette.

"Sure. He had a critical injury, but he'll be okay. It's a good thing Tenten brought him here" she told him with a smile. "Anyway, is Sasuke out of the village today?" she then asked him.

Naruto nodded his head in return. "Yeah. From what Grandma Tsunade told me, he and the rest of the Shadow Squad will be staying near the Great Naruto Bridge for the night. They'll return here tomorrow" he answered her.

Sakura giggled by what she was hearing. "Great Naruto Bridge. It sure brings backs memories. And positive ones for once" the pinkette said while recalling their time doing the mission in the Land of Waves as only young genins. They along with Sasuke and Kakashi had managed to save the poor island nation from the clutches of a corrupted dictator. All of a sudden, Sakura noticed the letter that Naruto was holding onto his left hand it made her curious. "What is this?" she then asked him.

Naruto held it out for her to see. "It's an invitation I received from Shino. He and Umeko are getting married. Me, grandma and some others are invited to the wedding as guests of honor. And you're than welcome to join me if you want" the blonde-haired man explained to her.

Sakura felt happy from what she was hearing. "So they're finally getting married? That's so sweet! I can't believe that among all of us, Shino was the first one to propose" the pinkette noted while thinking about the man in sunglasses. "I'll definitely come along. I might as well start to take inspiration with regards to our own wedding" she then said to him with a smug glance.

Naruto dropped a sweat by hearing this, as he was also dumbfounded. "Are you serious, right now?" he quizzed her.

Sakura giggled as she could see Naruto's usual clueless reaction. "I was just being sarcastic. It's funny to see you confused sometimes, Naruto" she admitted to him before landing him a kiss on his right cheek, in which Naruto happily received. She glanced at him with her sweet smile. "Nevertheless, I'm happy on Shino's behalf. I expect that the other clans will attend to give their blessings to the couple. The Hyuugas, Inuzukas…." Sakura was stopped as she could see Naruto form a slight frown, which made her surprised.

"Sakura, you won't believe what happened yesterday over at Hinata's. She and Kiba did something so…unusual that it almost caused their clans to be at each other's throats" the blonde-haired man told her, while Sakura listened closely. "From what Grandma Tsunade told me, Hinata's dad came into her room and found her on top of him topless" he then told her while making sure no one was following or eavesdropping on them.

Sakura gasped in shock. "Are you saying that Kiba and Hinata were having…" the blonde-haired man nodded at her to confirm her questions. This left Sakura even more stunned than usual. "Whoa…what the hell happened? I mean, since when did Hinata get…braver? You know how she usually is" the pinkette told him.

"I know. I too was dumbfounded when I found out about it. I never knew they were that intimate to one another" Naruto replied back while scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, Grandma Tsunade intervened just in time to encourage both Hiashi and Tsume to have a dialogue over the matter. If fact, they may as well be having that now as we speak" the blonde-haired man told her.

"It would be best if we stayed out of this, Naruto. Only Kiba and Hinata are the ones that can solve this problem" Sakura insisted to him. "But then again, maybe we'll see them as a couple at Shino's wedding. What day is it, by the way?" she then asked him.

Naruto held up the piece of paper and started reading through it as best as he could. "From what I can tell, it'll be on this weekend, on Saturday. That's fine by me. Are you with me?" he then asked his girlfriend smugly.

Sakura only rolled her emerald eyes in return while crossing her arms. "I just gave you my answer, you knucklehead" she told him while going as far as to nudge him on his arms. "Let's attend the wedding as a couple then. I'm sure that Shino will be happy to see us coming" she added to her answer.

The blonde-haired man simply gave her a thumb up gesture while grinning with satisfaction in return. "Excellent! Then we got ourselves a date there" he said, only to snap when he could feel something bleeping on his wristband. It was an alarm, which always reminded him about returning him to the Hokage Tower. "Oops! I probably stayed here a bit longer, so I gotta go back. But we'll see each other around, beautiful" Naruto said and gave Sakura quick kiss on the lips before exiting her office.

As Sakura was left standing alone in her office she couldn't help but to wonder about what a marriage between her and Naruto would've looked like. But was she ready for such? True, they both liked each other deeply to love one another, but in her mind, it was best not to rush things up. The way this relationship between her and Naruto worked was just fine.

* * *

 _In a village near the Great Naruto Bridge, the Land of Fire_

The evening was descending upon the world and it was time for the people of the village close right by the Great Naruto Bridge to go to sleep. That also included the visiting members of the Shadow Squad, which would spend the night in this village before returning back to the Leaf Village the next day. Having spent most of the traveling to and searching the village, they now deserved some rest for their hard work.

The Shadow Squad had established themselves in the attic to one apartment complexes located in this village. By being so high and hidden from the ordinary villagers, they would not be noticed or even followed. This was their hideout in this village.

But before all members could go to sleep, they would have one last meeting inside the attic's living room, where there was enough seats for almost everybody. However, there was someone who preffered to stand and watch instead of sitting, Sasuke being among them. In the meantime, he watched as how many of his fellow members of the Shadow Squad argued over taking so much space.

"Damn it, Shito! Can't you stand!?" Ensui Nara asked as he could almost feel himself getting crushed by Shito sitting on his lap. "I swear by God, you're too heavy!" the man with the ponytail added while groaning in slight pain.

"But I'm too tired to stand up!" Shito complained while wriggling his backside, thus almost crushing the couch. "And besides, I'm too big to stand!" he then added with another excuse for taking so much space.

"If you stood up, you would've lost some weight, you big boar!" Tokuma Hyuuga complained, much to the anger of the chubby man.

"Hey! Who're you calling a big…..EYOUCH!" Shito cried in pain as Asami grabbed the man by his left ear and pulled him off. "IT HURTS! LET ME GO!" the chubby man pleaded, only for the teal-haired woman to bang her head on Shito.

"Quit whining like a kid, you big oaf! And the rest of you, shut up and listen! This is serious business here!" Asami strictly told them and they all zipped their mouths and focused their attention on her Yugao and Yamato, who were standing close to a giant screen hanging on the wall. The teal-haired woman bowed her head towards her superior in a formal manner. "The scene is yours, commander. You may begin" she then told her.

Yugao smirked by what she was hearing. "Excellent" she noted in return before turning on the giant screen which was showing the members a slide. It showed them what appeared to be onboard a ship, which had containers. "This is one of the ships that Haul, Vision and Horncrest investigated on the docks. While it appeared unsuspicious on the outside, it didn't save them from investigating the containers. And let us show you what they found in five of those containers" she then told them.

The screen suddenly showed them five pictures of what appeared to be the insides of containers. But that was not everything. Each of these five pictures had something in common. Sasuke's black eyes widened when he saw those. The Uchiha clan symbol, written in blood, just like the once he had discovered in the apartment earlier.

"This can only mean one thing" Yamato noted grimly while studying the pictures. "This ship was probably used by those traffickers to load up people and send them from here to this Island of Tides. They were transporting people form this village to that island" the brown-haired man added to his statement.

"What's also noticeable is the fact that this ship was not built in the Land of Fire" Asami stated while the screen suddenly showed them the date and year this ship was built. It also showed them where exactly it was built. "This ship is built in the Land of Lightning. But there was something more that we discovered in the control room" she then added and the screen began showing them a picture of skeletons in the control room. But these weren't just any ordinary skeletons. They wore shinobi outfits, but not that of Rogue Ninjas.

"Those shinobis…." Sai uttered out lowly in shock. "They're Stone and Cloud shinobis. You can tell by the attire these skeletons are wearing despite them being old" the pale-skinned man pointed out.

"Yes. Somehow, these shinobis were onboard that ship a long time before whoever hijacked it. It appears they killed them and left them to rot" Yamato noted while studying the pictures. "But what also astounds me is why Stone and Cloud ninjas would stay on the same ship together, given the icy relationship between their villages" the brown-haired man added with curiosity in his voice.

Yugao turned off the screen and faced all the members. "That is something we would like to know more from our allies in the Grim Guard and the Divine Division, when we're meeting for our operation" the purple-haired woman told them all. "All of you have done well today, Shadow Squad. For that, we deserve some rest. But we will begin moving back to the Leaf Village by dawn. This meeting is hereby dismissed" she told them strictly and all the members began moving to find whatever room they could come across.

Sasuke found himself standing right before a door, in which lead to a small room with a single bed, a night table and a small. He was surprised that no one ever bothered to use it. But considering that he was already mistrusted and knowing that none of the members would share room with him (with the noticeable exception being Sai or Yamato), Sasuke decided to use it as his own. It was just for one night.

Lying on the bed in the dark room, Sasuke began reflecting on what he had seen so far. He then began slowly shutting his eyes. But the raven-haired man still thought about the Uchiha clan symbols being written in blood, as well as the paper he had read in the apartment. He also began to think about who this Crimson Dragon was. Many conflicting thoughts began swirling inside his head and they desired to many answers. He began recalling to what his late brother had said to him.

"Itachi…..I respect your choices….and I may begin to see how the darkness of the Leaf Village changed you" Sasuke noted in his head. "However, I do not wish for that darkness to consume me. My will is my own. It belongs to no one" he then added to his feelings and was about to shut his eyes to sleep.

But as he was doing that, a chill could be felt in his spine. Sasuke's eyes quickly snapped into Sharingan and he quickly turned around to see if there was actually anyone watching him from the outside. His gaze glanced through the window, and he saw nothing but the buildings, lampposts and other objects belonging to the urban landscape. The raven-haired man could swear that he felt someone watching him, yet he saw none. Laying down once again, Sasuke closed his eyes, thus drifting into sleep once again. He would need to gather his energy for now.

But unbeknownst to the sleeping Uchiha himself, someone had indeed been watching him from afar. Out from the darkness of the rooftops, a black-hooded figure suddenly appeared, wandering on the rooftops. This figure was moving slowly in the darkness, before jumping to a tall and nearby lamppost. The moon in the clouds began to shed some of its light upon it. The wind was blowing form the ocean.

"So this is what has become of you, Sasuke?" the mysterious figure spoke with a young male voice, as if he knew Sasuke from before. "You would seek forgiveness to those simpleminded Senju-lapdogs? I am disappointed in you" he said, only to chuckle evilly as he thought about that fact. "But why do I even care, all of your Uchihas are foolish. You, your brother, your parents, Shisui, Obito, Izsuna and even Madara! You all are blind to what you are!" he said with an angry voice, and something could be seen in the darkness of his hood. Two eyes could be seen, but it was not just ordinary eyes. It was that of the Sharingan, the Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha clan. The hooded stranger turned around to take one last glance at the building Sasuke were inside sleeping right now. "Keep digging deeper, Sasuke. When the time comes, I will finally erase the Uchiha clan from existence and make you pay for all the suffering I had to endure for the last 20 years. Your brother and the other Uchihas thought I was dead….but I am now awake and alive…hungry for vengeance against you and the damn village that should have no meaning to the shinobi life!" he said as his eyes grew redder. The stranger then vanished from the scene, his true identity remaining a mystery.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: In this chapter, we learned about what Sasuke was doing out in the fields, while we got an impression of what Sakura was doing to support the Leaf Village. We also saw Lee being brought to the hospital, much to the distress of Tenten. And who is this Crimson Dragon that is somewhat resentful towards the Uchiha clan? Many questions that remains to be answered. In the next chapter, I may want to tell you about Shikamaru's time in the Sand Village, as well as the relationship between him and Temari. I also may begin to write about Tenten and Lee, as Lee wakes up from his unconsciousness. But I won't spoil you what else I'll write about. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	7. Luck of an Idiot

**Author's note: This chapter will focus on the relationships between Lee and Tenten and Shikamaru and Temari. We also get to see Gaara as well. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Luck of an Idiot**

 _Inside the hospital, Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

The sun was rising up and light came into the hospital room where Rock Lee was found lying. When the light hit the black-haired man's bushy eyebrows, his eyes started to wrinkle. This only signalized that he was now awakening from his unconsciousness he had been having since the accident he had yesterday. However, what was noticeable was the fact that Lee's eyes opened really fast and so much energy was brought into him.

"Ahh…what happened…..OUCH! MY STOMACH!" Lee quickly rose up from the pillow only to groan in pain while holding onto his stomach. Lee opened his eyes and looked down on his stomach where he was holding around. The young man was stunned. He was bandaged on his stomach. "What in the world…bandages?" he then wondered while looking at it confused.

It didn't take long before he took notice of the clothes he had been sleeping in, as well as the room he found himself in. So many thoughts swirled inside Lee's head and many of them were questions as well as realizations, although they were dragged up later.

"I'm at the hospital…but why?" Lee wondered while glancing around from where he was sitting. After enough thinking and pondering, Lee now understood the reason why he had been brought here. "Oh right, the accident yesterday. I managed to save myself from falling in that hole, but I think an axe managed to land right into my stomach. Gosh, how lucky I really was" he then realized while thinking about what had happened to him.

While Lee was in his deep thought, the door suddenly slammed open and in came Tenten along with Sakura. Tenten was holding onto a bag with water and food. She dropped the as she was stunned to see Lee being awake.

"Hi there, Tenten, Sakura! How are you doing?" Lee asked in his usual friendly manner, only to see Tenten walk towards him. This made Lee stretch out his arms to receive her hug. "I'm fine, Tenten. It may be a cut, but it's nothing I can't handle. Now come over her and give me a big…" Lee thought he would be receiving a hug from his girlfriend, but that was not what he got from her. Rather it was a hard slap on his right cheek. It was quite hard and it left a mark on Lee's cheek. "OUCH! WHAT WAS THAT FOR, TENTEN!?" he asked out in disbelief while noticing how she was sobbing and even clenching her hands.

Sakura watched this with concern and knew that Tenten would need to have some time with Lee alone. "I'll leave you to alone for now. But Tenten, could you please refrain from causing any physical harm to Lee? He's still a patient you know" the pinkette told her before exiting the door.

Tenten sighed deeply. "I know, Sakura. I know" she said lowly, despite the fact that Sakura was no longer in the room with them.

Lee only glanced dumbfounded at Tenten, although he could see she was in pain. "Tenten, what's wrong?" he asked her lowly while seeing that tears were starting to slowly stream from her eyes. Lee felt like asking more. "You know that you can always talk to me whenever you're…" the young man was stopped as his girlfriend finally spoke up.

"Just stop it, Lee" the brunette told her, her voice filled with frustration.

Lee still didn't get it. "Stop with what?" he asked her once again.

"I SAID STOP ACTING SO DAMN SIMPLEMINDED, YOU IDIOT!" Tenten yelled out loud, releasing both her anger and sadness at the same time. Tears still fell from her eyes and she even gritted her teeth in frustration as she glanced at Lee. "HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR YOU TO JUST STOP!?" the brunette added, her voice being loud enough for Lee to hear.

Lee was taken aback by Tenten's sudden outburst. There were rare times when she was this upset. Even so, he knew that she needed to calm down. "Slow down, Tenten. You shouldn't yell so much, you know" he then told her.

"THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY TO MAKE YOU GROW UP!? AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY "NICE JOB LEE, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK"!? YOU'RE SO DELUSIONAL!" Tenten got furious once again, thus screaming at Lee. The young man was continuing to be astounded by his girlfriend's frustration with him.

"Tenten calm down! We're in the hospital remember?! There are other patients who can hear you" Lee told her, this time trying to raise his voice. "Just calm down and let us talk this through like the mature people we are" the young man then told her, much to Tenten's own disbelief in what she heard him say.

The brunette was not impressed by what her boyfriend just said. "You, mature?" she asked before facepalming to show her utter disappointment in what Lee just said. "Lee, you don't even know the meaning of the word mature! How many times must I say this?" she then pointed out to him.

For some reason, Lee felt that Tenten was behaving rather strange for some reason and it made him wonder why she was saying things like that. The black-haired man decided to find out more about what she was talking about.

"Tenten, is there a reason why you're saying this to me?" Lee questioned her, this time feeling like wanting an honest answer from the brunette.

Tenten sighed before she replied. "You wanna know? Fine. I came here to give you an ultimatum Lee" the brunette suddenly spoke up, her voice as honest as she could make it. This astounded Lee, his fuzzy eyes widening in astonishment. But Tenten could see that there was so much confusion in Lee's expression, so she decided to speak up her mind. "I'm not bluffing, Lee. I'm through being tolerant about your constant stupidity. If we are to exist in a relationship as a couple, you will need to make some concessions, not just me. That's why I'm giving you this ultimatum" Tenten then explained to him clearly.

Lee was filled with so many questions in his head, and he wanted to ask them to Tenten, one by one. "But why, Tenten? I mean, why an ultimatum?" he asked lowly, his voice bearing a hint of shock.

"You haven't even heard what it is yet" Tenten suddenly pointed out sternly to him and Lee zipped his mouth so he could listen to her ultimatum. "The ultimatum is like this: either you stop with this foolishness and start acting mature for once and change your stupidity…or the relationship between us is over…pronto" she then told him, although she could be heard sounding reluctant when saying this to Lee.

Lee gasped in utter disbelief and he was too stunned to even respond to what he had just heard his girlfriend tell him. But on the outside, a hint of sadness was beginning to take hold on him and Tenten could see that. However, Lee had not yet begun to unleash his tears yet. He lowered his head in shame.

"How…...how can you say such things?" Lee asked lowly and sadly at the same time. The black-haired man then looked up to the brunette. "You and I have been through so many things, Tenten. How can you end this wonderful bond we share?" he then asked her once again.

Tenten sighed deeply. "I only meant ending the relationship between us as lovers, Lee" the brunette then spoke up lowly, thus catching Lee's attention. "Being friends and lovers are too different things, you know that" she added with determination in her voice.

"But still, your ultimatum doesn't make any sense" Lee pointed out to her. "You know that I care about you, Tenten. If there's something wrong, you can always talk to me" he then insisted to her.

Tenten groaned when hearing this. "If you want us to continue having this kind of relationship, then stop acting so self-righteous and man up for once!" the brunette suddenly told him, and Lee snapped in astonishment as she heard how determined she sounded. "I've always tried to be tolerant about your antics, but that hasn't worked. So now, it's time that we got real here! And I want you to make some concessions in this relationship!" she added to her explanation before heading to the door, but not before looking over her shoulder to have some final words with Lee. "I'm going back home. I still gotta work in the shop. But think about what I've just told you, Lee. Either you change, or it's over. No more excuses!" she said before opening the door and slamming it.

The black-haired man was glancing at the slammed door, feeling the urge to cry. But Lee did not do that. He simply glanced at it while feeling his heart slightly shattered. "Why…Tenten?" he said lowly, wishing he could get an answer from her.

Lee was left with nothing but so many hurtful thoughts in his head. Being told all of this was something he really didn't wish would happen. However, the young man was now beginning to see something. This relationship was not just all about him. It was also about Tenten. Had he been acting so stupid that he forgot to think about Tenten's feelings and opinions? Maybe she was feeling left out of this relationship. Perhaps this relationship between them was one-sided.

"Maybe Tenten's right" Lee admitted to himself lowly while thinking about all the moments of clumsiness he had been into since they started dating. "Ever since the war ended, when both Neji and Guy-sensei died, I always thought that I was lost. I never even once wanted to go out in the sun, despite being encouraged from Naruto. But that was until Tenten still stood by my side, as she had always done that with me in the past. It was she who no longer made me feel sad. I was grateful that she was the only friend that survived the war" he then went on recalling to the time they began dating as a couple.

Lee had recalled the day when it was revealed that Naruto and Sakura were a couple. Lee, who had always possessed strong feelings towards the pinkette, felt his spirits shattered when he heard about this. This, couple with the deaths of Neji and Guy only made him slink into depression. But that is until he realized he still had Tenten. Over the years, they had always considered to be close friends and teammates.

"Tenten started to emulate Sakura in many ways. Because of that, I was drawn to her. It even gave me the courage to ask her out" Lee then recalled the first time they had been on a date, which was only a camping trip to the forests in the Land of Fire. It was there they started to get close to one and another and even kissed. "So many good times she and I had together. But did I fail to make concessions to her, as she had done for me? I guess so" the fuzzy-eyed man then remarked in his head while glancing down at the blanket with a hint of sadness in his expression.

Lee realized know that he could no longer be the same immature and childish boy as he had been in the past. No, he needed to change, into a real man. Deep down inside, Lee knew that this was something Guy would have wanted him to do in order to save his love for someone he cared about. But the only question was how.

"I gotta know more about Tenten personally. That means that I need to make her see the man I really am. But how can I do that?" Lee said to himself while suddenly noticing the paper on his night stand. From what he could tell, it looked like an invitation. He took it and read it closely. "Ah, now I see! It's an invitation to Shino and Umeko's wedding. They're finally getting married!" he noted with a smile before realizing something. If he had been invited, then Tenten would've definitely been that as well. A smug smile crept on the black-haired man's face. "Bingo! I know just the perfect way to let Tenten see a different side of me. I'll show her how I've changed over the years!" he said to himself with determination burning inside of him.

But in the minute Lee raised his right hand in the air, he could feel the pain on his stomach once again. It made him wince in pain and Lee held around it with his arms once again. He now realized what he meant by maturing. Mature people would never strain themselves while recovering from his injuries. He was beginning to see the merit of Tenten's frustration with him. Perhaps he could learn much from being an adult and stop acting like the whimsical teenager he had once been.

* * *

 _Inside Tenten's weapon shop, Village Hidden in the Leaves_

After visiting her boyfriend in the hospital, Tenten went back to her weapon shop and started first with some repairs. The young brunette was currently cleared the hole on the floor by replacing it with a new type of wood. Once she was done, she began cleaning the shop with a broom. But as she did that, Tenten could not help but to think about the words she had said to Lee back in the hospital.

"Maybe I was too harsh on Lee when I said those words" Tenten noted in her thoughts while glancing down the floor with a worried expression on her face. "But why am I even thinking like that? I had to let Lee know of my frustrations" she then concluded, thus clearing her head of all doubts.

After finishing cleaning the floor, she went back to the counter and waited for the customer to arrive. As she waited she could not help but to take her mind off Lee. She knew that despite his lack of benevolence and seriousness, Lee was the man she really had feelings for. Tenten rested her head on her arms while sitting, thinking about how complicated having a relationship really was.

"I really feel like a screw up sometimes. I don't know why I say this, but I can't think clearly when I'm frustrated" Tenten noted in her head. It didn't take long before the young brunette was beginning to think about the words of wisdom from her late sensei, Might Guy. A single tear began to drip from her eyes. "Guy-sensei. If you or Neji were with us today…...what would've you have said to me? I only remember the advice you gave to me on how to keep a friendship safe" she then added while thinking about Neji Hyuuga, who had been considered a great teammate to her and Lee.

The door suddenly opened and Tenten looked up to see someone she really didn't expect to see enter her weapon shop. It was none other than Kakashi Hatake. The white-haired man simply waved at the young brunette in his usually friendly mood. Tenten's expression went from being frustrated to being surprised.

"Tenten, it's been a while since we last talked, mind if I come and see some of your weapons?" Kakashi asked her, his friendly voice never ceasing to impress those who knew him.

Tenten was at first surprised to see him inside. "Kakashi-sensei….." she uttered out lowly before realizing his intentions. The young woman fixed a cheerful expression on her face and walked up to Kakashi. "I mean, I'm glad you could visit, Kakashi-sensei. Sure, we can have a look on some weapons. But I must first know your reason for buying one from me" she then told her, causing Kakashi to glance at her with a raised eyebrow. This forced Tenten to clarify her words. "I'm sorry. It's a policy for those who sells weapons. We're supposed to know whether our customers are suitable to have weapons or not" Tenten explained her reasons for asking him this.

"I see. That sounds quite clever for you to follow. No need to apologize for that" Kakashi told her, thus giving Tenten some understanding to her rules. "Now as for the reason, I'm planning on buying something a gift and I plan on surprising her" the white-haired man then revealed to her and Tenten could not help but to blush slightly.

"Oh, so you're buying something for your girlfriend?" she asked, to which Kakashi replied back with a nod in return. "I understand. Well, the only weapons I can recommend to you are either the kunai boomerang or the bow and arrows. You know, they're not too advanced" she then said to him.

Kakashi could notice that something was different with Tenten. It was like she was not in her usual mood today. Wanting to know whether she was doing okay, Kakashi asked her. "Is there something that has been troubling you, Tenten? You look kind of frustrated to me" he asked her while pointing to some symptoms.

The young woman snapped in embarrassment as she heard him asking her that question. Tenten knew that Kakashi was someone who would not take a lie so easy. Therefore, she had no choice but to let the truth out to him. However, the young brunette felt reluctant about telling him this. But she knew how smart and encouraging Kakashi-sensei really was.

"You may know that Lee is hospitalized, right?" Tenten asked him and Kakashi nodded his head as a yes to her question. "Well, today he woke up from unconsciousness and I felt like telling him how this relationship between us was working. I told him that I was tired of his usual shenanigans, so I gave him an ultimatum: either he changes or the relationship between us is over" she then went on to tell what happened, even though she secretly resented telling the bitter truth.

Kakashi's reaction was neither that of surprise or shock. However, he felt bewildered after hearing what Tenten had just told him. "I see. So that's what this is all about?" Kakashi spoke up, not knowing what else to say. But he had some questions for the young brunette. "But from your own standpoint, do you think this was necessary?" he then asked her, causing Tenten to let out a slight sigh in return.

"I know this sounds kind of messed up and all, but what choice did I have?" Tenten replied while Kakashi listened closely. "I just want Lee to stop being the usual goof as he always is and start maturing for once" she then told him the reason why he did this.

"Well, whatever you think it's best for yourself. But know this Tenten. Lee may not look like it, but he already has matured as a shinobi" Kakashi suddenly told Tenten, who was only astounded by what she heard from him. Kakashi nodded his head to confirm her questions. "Yes. Like Guy, Lee also has a tendency to not take thing seriously. But when the situation requires it, he will take things seriously. That I can assure you" the masked man then assured the young brunette.

This made Tenten force a smile on her face. The brunette could not help but to see some words of wisdom in Kakashi's words. Perhaps he was right? Had Tenten been too judgmental on Lee? Or was this something that Tenten had to do in order to keep this relationship ongoing. So many thoughts swirled inside her head. She even glanced at the ground with a slight frown on her face.

"Hmmm…...Lee" Tenten said lowly while recalling what she had told her boyfriend.

"You don't have to feel guilty about it, Tenten. What I only told you was from what I know of Lee and your sensei. But that's only from my standpoint" Kakashi then insisted to her before waving his hand at Tenten in a whimsical manner. He then focused his attention on one of the many weapons that he could see in the shop. "Now then, I think I would like to bow the boy and arrows. Does it come with a quiver?" he then said while asking her a question.

Tenten nodded her head with a gleeful smile as she heard him. "Sure. I'll get those for you" she said and was about to pick up those items, only for the brunette to stop. She slowly turned around and smiled at Kakashi. "And by the way, thanks for the advice, Kakashi-sensei. You know, I should talk to you sometimes, given that you knew Guy-sensei way before we did" Tenten then thanked him before continuing with finding the items.

While Kakashi was surprised at first, he eventually formed a smile underneath that mask of his. He was pleased to see how both Tenten and Lee had made it through the death of Neji and Guy. He had also mourned their deaths. But he knew that Guy's students knew not to let their sorrows take hold on them. They would face forward, as would everyone else in the Leaf Village.

* * *

 _In the streets of the Village Hidden in the Sand, Land of Wind_

It was a quiet day in the Village Hidden in the Sand, and Shikamaru Nara along with his delegation was on a diplomatic visit, where they would spend a few days before heading back home. But this visit had turned out to be quite different for Shikamaru. For the first time, he got knowledge about Temari's family being aware of their secret relationship. Shikamaru was freaked out when they first found out. But eventually, he could see how supportive Temari's brothers were of their relationship. Therefore, they had entrusted him to take care of her in the future, something Shikamaru himself agreed.

Right now, Shikamaru and Temari were currently taking a stroll in one of the Sand Village's many streets. Now that they had finished a meeting with the Sand Council, they had now decided to go out on a date. Izumo, Kotetsu and Aoshi had gone off somewhere else, thus giving Shikamaru the opportunity to spend time with his girlfriend. As they walked in the street, Shikamaru took his time to look around at how different the Sand Village had become. Canals of water and fountains could be seen around the village and it was a stark contrast to what it was 2 years ago. Shikamaru had to admit he was amazed.

"Man, I never knew your village had the ability to change. I mean, these canals and fountains makes this place look like a water park" the young man noted by what he was seeing.

Temari had to smirk as she saw Shikamaru's curiosity getting hold of him. "I'm glad you appreciate the Sand Village's new look" the dark blonde-haired woman said to him.

An idea suddenly bubbled inside Shikamaru's head, and he fixed a mischievous grin on his face. In fact, he grabbed Temari by her arms and tried to throw her out to the canal. "I've got an idea! How about we take dive in that canal? You first, Temari!" he then suggested, his voice filled with mischievousness. But before Shikamaru knew it, he felt a hard kick on his crotch. This was Temari's doing, the young woman having just used her right knee to make Shikamaru let go of her. Shikamaru winced in pain while holding onto his crotch. Tears of pain even rolled from his eyes as he felt the agony. "My balls…my balls…" he began saying repeatedly, his voice getting lower by the minute.

Temari felt herself confident as she saw her boyfriend get a taste of his own medicine. However, she was facing Shikamaru with stern eyes. "I believe I've told you this a couple of times. Bathing in these waters is strictly prohibited. The water also acts as a drinking water to us Sand villagers" Temari told her sternly. "Tainting the water with your sweaty body is now considered a criminal offense. After all, the Sand Village treat water as very important lifeline" the dark blonde-haired woman added to her explanation.

Shikamaru merely glanced at her while holding onto his crotch. "The hell…YOU THINK THAT JUSTIFIES IN KICKING MY BALLS!?" he then asked out angrily, still not getting the reason she went to such measures to make him stop. He then slowly tried to get up, even though he still felt agony while holding onto his crotch. "Couldn't you have just slapped my cheeks instead!? For God's sake, Temari! There are other spots that is not as fragile as my balls!" the young man added, his voice still filled with frustration over the matter.

Despite seeing this, Temari didn't seem to give much though into him and proceeded to move on, even waving a whimsical hand at him in the process. Shikamaru was dumbfounded by her behavior. "Buck it off, Commander Lazyass. I expected you to have more resilience, assuming that you are one of the Leaf Village's top diplomats" she then said to him.

Shikamaru sighed deeply while hearing this. But he couldn't help but to form a smug smile as he and Temari continued walking. He took a glance at his girlfriend. Despite her often strict and controlling personality, Temari was actually a sweet and beautiful woman on the inside. The man with the ponytail could see that.

"While your personality is such a drag, that's the last thing I actually care about when it comes to you. No, you have your own sense of charms. That's what drives me to you" Shikamaru noted in his head as he continued to glance at her.

Temari took notice of Shikamaru staring at her and it made her look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Is there anything funny about me?" she asked him sternly.

Shikamaru simply grinned cockily as he heard her say that. "Trust me, sweetheart. There's nothing funny about you" he told her while putting his hands on Temari's shoulders, which surprised the dark blonde-haired woman. Their faces were close to one another, with Shikamaru feeling the intent to Temari what he felt about her. "It's just that, you look so beautiful in this new hairstyle of yours. I mean, your looks and personality just makes me come to you like you are a magnet" he then told him from the bottom of his heart about her.

While Temari was stunned at first, she eventually fixed a smug smile, even chuckling sweetly as she heard what her boyfriend had just told him. This time, it was Shikamaru's turn to be surprised. To be honest, he had not seen Temari acting so feminine before.

"Aww, you are so cut when you are honest, Shikamaru" Temari told him while beginning to take Shikamaru's hands off her shoulders, thus holding them with her own. A sweet smile crept on the young kunoichi's face. "Allow me to make for what I just did with this" Temari told him and before Shikamaru knew it, his lips were caught by hers.

Shikamaru was taken by surprise as he felt how passionate the kiss felt. Nevertheless, he returned the favor and held Temari around her waist. The two diplomats shared this passionate moment underneath the sun. Fortunately for them, no one was around to snap pictures or saying anything rude to interrupt their kissing. But the kiss didn't last long and once they finished, they held onto each other with enamored expressions on their faces.

"Wow…thanks Temari" Shikamaru said, his voice in the lowest volume.

Temari giggled by what she was seeing and proceeded to take his hand and drag him with her. She felt so much joy in doing this. "Now buckle up, handsome. I know just the right place for us to hang out" Temari told him while Shikamaru only glanced at her with nothing but confusion.

"What…." Shikamaru said lowly before his face slumped slightly. "Man this is such a drag" he remarked lowly, although he felt himself getting dragged by Temari quickly.

Temari had a reason to feel so confident about herself. She knew that Shikamaru was the man she wanted to be with. And being from the different hidden villages would prevent them from having as such. Their love for one another would trump that.

* * *

 _Inside the Kazekage's Building, Village Hidden in the Sand_

Gaara was currently standing on the balcony of the Kazekage's Building. He was surveying the Sand Village and realizing something. Even though he had been Kazekage in some years now, he knew that bearing that title in the aftermath of the world war was different. Gaara was able to witness how much had changed in the village. In his eyes, it was different from the village he and his siblings grew up in. Under his leadership, the Sand Village had grown, and gone from being a desolated pit of clay and stucco to a lush valley with canals, fountains and oases.

"The Land of Wind may come across as a harsh country and I can see why. After all, it was one of the greatest contributor the war reparations, which cost us a lot of money. I first feared that a financial crisis would descend upon the Land of Wind" Gaara noted in his head, as the winds blew in his spikey red hair. He had begun to think about his duties as a Kazekage, as well as the Land of Wind's internal affairs. Yet despite the worry in his thoughts, he soon found inner peace within himself. "But because of our new economic and political changes, it will bring better hope to it's people. I will see to that the Sand Village does not suffer in an economic hardship as it has been in the past" he added to his thoughts.

The Fifth Kazekage started to smile as he surveyed the village he protected. He was standing there while feeling the winds, until he could hear the voice of a young girl calling to him. Gaara was surprised and turned around to see who it was. He smiled.

"Lord Kazekage…" the voice came from a young girl with short brown hair and black eyes. She was dressed in clothes that were similar to the ones other children of the Sand Village wore, with a black tunic and a white scarf. The young girl hugged Gaara by his feet, expressing her open admiration of the Kazekage. Even her small eyes were filled with star. "Grandpa took with me to go see you" the young girl said, her eyes never letting go of the sight of him.

Gaara kneeled down and patted the young girl on her head, always feeling proud of the little girl. "You are always welcome to visit me, Chiasa" the Kazekage told her while stroking her brown hair. The red-haired man then focused his attention on the elderly man who had arrived on the balcony to speak with him. It was Ebizo, a well-respected politician of the Sand Village, as well as the current head of the Sand Council. The old man was often nicknamed Honored Grandfather Ebizo by his fellow villagers of the Sand, and along with his deceased sister Chiyo were known as the Honored Siblings.

"Hail Gaara, son of Rasa, our Fifth Kazekage" the old man spoke up while bowing his head in a very formal manner. "You will have to forgive me for taking little Chiasa with me today. But she constantly wishes to see you" the old man said, once again bowing his head with respect.

Gaara shook his head as a no. "There is no need for such, Master Ebizo. As a Kazekage, it is important that bring inspiration and guidance to youngsters like Chiasa" he told him while glancing at the young girl who onto her grandfather's clothes. Gaara smiled at her. "And besides, Chiasa along with many others are a part of the Sand Village's future" she said, thus making the young girl gasping with joy.

Ebizo had to chuckle as he heard this from Gaara. "Spoken like a true optimist. I am glad that I am not the only one in this village" he remarked, feeling proud to have Gaara as his Kazekage. But the elderly man soon fixed a frown on his mouth and it made Gaara slightly surprised. "Excuse my insolence for saying this, Lord Kazekage. But do you mind if we have a word together? I have a favor to ask of you with regards to one of my eldest grandchildren" he then added.

Gaara nodded his head in agreement. "Very well. I take it he is with you as we speak" he then said to him, forcing Ebizo to nod his head as a yes in return.

The elderly man then looked over his shoulder and motioned for someone to step forward and out on the balcony. Gaara's blue eyes widened in slight surprise by what he was seeing a young man with spikey brown hair and dark eyes. He was dressed in a black tunic which was similar to that of ordinary Sand Villagers. Gaara had seen this man before. It was during the time when he and his siblings first participated in the Chuunin Exams many years ago. It was one of the many genins who had failed the Exams during the first phase after being caught cheating five times. But he had enough guts to angrily question the examiners, only to be brought out by intimidation from the examiners. This man had been several years older than Gaara at that time.

But what Gaara saw now, was a young man feeling quite let down. He was gazing on the ground while holding onto his right arm like he was nervous in standing before the Kazekage. Even so, Gaara continued to glance at him with a surprised expression. The young man simply glanced at him with a nervous glance. Gaara could tell that this man did not feel like standing on this balcony.

"This is one of my eldest grandchildren. His name is Komaza. And despite his many attempts to pass the Chuunin Exams, he has failed them singlehandedly" Ebizo spoke up, his voice hinting to a level of distaste while glancing at the young man.

Komaza sighed deeply while feeling annoyed at the old man. "Is it really necessary to do this, gramps? Making me an ass in front of the Kazekage really only ruins my…." Komaza suddenly felt his head getting banged by his grandfather, who glanced at him with nothing but open dispassion.

"Mind your tongue, young one! You stand before the Fifth Kazekage. Show him some respect" the old man sternly told him while crossing his arms. Ebizo turned his attention on the red-haired man. "Now as for the favor I ask of you. I want to enlist Komaza in the Grim Guard on my behalf. The only favor I ask of you is that you support his entry. I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I fear that Komaza will not become an asset to the Sand Village" he then went on.

Gaara took his glance at the young man while considering the option. While he took his time to reflect on Ebizo's request, he was more focused on seeing how sad the young man behaved on the inside. The Kazekage could understand how he desired to achieve something great despite being a failure. In fact, Komaza reminded Gaara of Rock Lee and how he strived to become a great shinobi despite his inability to use ninjutsu and genjutsu. With considerate thought, Gaara reached his hand out to Komaza, who was stunned by seeing him doing this.

"Komaza, even though you may not show it on the outside, I can tell that you seek to be acknowledged and accepted on the inside. I can understand your frustration, so I want to help you with it. I hereby welcome you into the Grim Guard" Gaara told the young man.

Komaza was completely stunned by what he was seeing, and he didn't know what to say in return. Nevertheless, he took Gaara's hand and did a handshake with him. So many thoughts were swirling inside the young man's mind, yet there was at least one thing he could feel now: gratitude.

Without delay, Komaza immediately stood on his knees and thanked Gaara while sobbing a little. "Thank you, Lord Gaara. I swear, I won't let you down! Words can't describe how grateful I am to you!" Komaza told him, tears streaming from his eyes as he thanked the red-haired man.

Gaara was smiling, as did Chiasa and Ebizo. "There is no need to thank me, Komaza. All able-bodied members of the Sand Village who are willing to partake in such missions are heroes, just like everyone else who protects it and serves the people" the red-haired man told him with honesty in his voice. Komaza got up and nodded his head, his eyes still having some tears left. "Now if you excuse me, I would like to have a word with your grandfather alone. Why don't you take Chiasa with you?" he then told the young man who saluted to him in return.

"As you wish, Lord Gaara" Komaza said firmly and he grabbed the little girl by her small hand. "Come on, Chiasa. We gotta go" he told her while dragging her along with her.

But the little girl was pouting and didn't want to leave Gaara, but Komaza still kept going, not caring how stubborn Chiasa really was. With those two gone, Gaara and Ebizo were alone on the balcony, with the elder politely bowing his head before Gaara. They then entered the office once again, with Gaara taking his place by the seat. Ebizo stood before him once again.

"I am thankful for your decision, Lord Kazekage" Ebizo said, before deciding to change subject. "Now what was this you wanted to talk with me?" the elder asked, feeling curious about Gaara's motives for them having this talk alone.

"I wanted to ask you something about family matters. It's about Temari and her relationship with the Leaf Village diplomat Shikamaru Nara" he then revealed to him, making Ebizo furrow his white eyebrows. "I realize that those two cares deeply for each other and I want Temari to be happy. Therefore, I have decided to support their relationship. But the only question is that, when they get married, can they live together as a family?" the red-haired man then asked the elder.

Ebizo took his time to think about this question carefully, yet he did eventually respond to his question. "As a veteran shinobi, this is indeed a difficult question for me to answer, Lord Kazekage. However, Lady Temari is your sister and if you support this relationship, then you are entitled to it. I also believe that she deserves to be with the man she loves" the old man said, before fixing a slight frown with his mouth. "However, there is something I must advice you when it comes to a marriage between shinobis from two different hidden villages. It has something to do with uniting lineages" he then told Gaara, who was astounded as he heard this.

"What do you mean by that?" the young man asked the elder.

"I know of Shikamaru Nara's family, as well as his clan, the Nara clan. All Naras all have their own signature ability. And the same can be said about your family, Gaara" Ebizo told him.

Gaara understood what the elder was talking about. He was talking about the ability that he had inherited from his father Rasa: the Magnet Style technique. Only few people of the Sand Village possessed such ability. Gaara was among those shinobis.

"I see. But I will take great consideration with this matter. That I assure you" Gaara told the elderly man, who smiled, knowing how he could trust Gaara's judgements. But the Kazekage now felt the need to ask something more from the honorable elder. "There is something else that I wish to ask something of you, Master Ebizo. It is about me personally" the red-haired man then revealed to him, thus surprising Ebizo. Gaara took his time before telling him about him. "I want to ask you this: what is love between two different individuals? Over the years, I have managed to understand the love between" he then asked him.

Ebizo's white eyebrows furrowed as he heard the Kazekage ask him that. He had not been expecting this kind of question coming from Gaara. But then again, Gaara did not know much about relationships as a couple. The elderly man was wondering whether Temari's ongoing relationship with Shikamaru had made Gaara curious to know what it really was.

"I see. I think your sister's relationship with that diplomat has made you curious to know about how a relationship like that is" Ebizo then told the Kazekage, eventually forming a gentle smile. "The answer to that is not so hard to find, young Gaara. A relationship between people who cares about each other can sometimes evolve into that of love. Such love is when these two individuals care deeply for one another, one that can last to the day one of them die" the old man explained while Gaara listened closely.

The Fifth Kazekage then took his time to think about what Ebizo had just told him. He could not help but to wonder whether he himself would ever get in a relationship like that of his sister and Shikamaru. Truth be told, he was relatively a young Kazekage, but most Kages were known to have a wife. But did that mean that having a spouse was an obligation to Gaara? Many thoughts began swirling inside his head. But one thing was certain: Gaara had now started to become intrigued with how relationships worked.

Even Ebizo could tell that by just looking at Gaara and it made him even more amused on the inside. "Hmmmm, I am pleased to see how much Gaara have evolved when it comes to understanding human interactions. Now he is beginning to become intrigued with how love really functions among humans" he noted in his head while fixing a slight smile on his face. Gaara took notice of the smile and focused his attention back on the elder. "I can assure you, Lord Kazekage, that you will one day experience the same type of love that your sister feels towards Shikamaru Nara. And that woman, may as well feel some love towards you in return. But only time will tell, young one" he then told the Kazekage.

Gaara could not help but to smile as he heard those words, knowing how Ebizo was probably the wisest amongst the denizens of the Sand Village. The young Kazekage believed himself that he would one day find someone he could develop a relationship with as a couple. But whether he would ever become married, he didn't know.

* * *

 _Inside a local bar, the Village Hidden in the Sand_

Shikamaru and Temari found themselves in a bar, in which the young diplomat himself was astounded to see its surroundings. While it didn't look like it from the outside, since it was located in an alleyway between the towering buildings of clay and stucco, the bar was actually quite fancy on the inside with modern furniture, colorful lights, real palms and even a big aquarium that functioned as a wall. It was very similar to a real-life bar in the city of Miami. As a matter of fact, the bar was actually called "the Vice Club" because of the fancy lights and signs. Temari had so much fun as she watched her boyfriend glancing around while gasping at the lights and how many people that was visiting the club.

"Quit staring around like that, Shikamaru. You look like a tourist" Temari told him.

Shikamaru glanced at her with a cooked eyebrow in return. "Well, I'm visiting the Sand Village and don't live there, even though I'm staying with you. So technically, it makes me a tourist" he then said to her. "But all this impression is killing me. How come you never told me about this place? I mean, in the times I've been to the Sand Village, I've never even checked out the alleyways" he then asked her.

"Tch, as if you would ever be interested in this. Because even if I told you about this bar beforehand, you would've just dismissed me and called me a liar and all kinds of nonsense" the young woman told him while waving his hand dismissively.

The man with the ponytail slumped his face in return while resting his chin on his right hand. "You always say that?" he wondered, only to form a smug smile soon after. "Anyway, enough about you. How are your brothers doing when it comes to dating?" he then asked her, wanting to know more about Temari's brothers, especially Gaara.

Before Temari could answer, their table was approached by a waiter, who delivered some refreshments to the two. It was bottle of champagne and two glasses to drink with. The waiter took the initiative by pouring the champagne on their glasses. Shikamaru felt impressed by this kind of service and he nodded his head at the waiter in appreciation.

"Thanks" he told him. The waiter then left their table, leaving the couple alone to start with their drinks. They both held their glasses in the air and close to one another. Shikamaru felt confident in himself. "Well, a toast to our healthy relationship" the young man then said, trying to be as romantic as possible.

Temari chuckled in amusement. "Some simple cheers would've been enough, Shikamaru. No need to get so dramatic her" the dark blonde-haired woman told him and the couple then toasted their glasses before drinking their champagne. Neither of them had any intentions on drinking up the whole glass, so they simply took a sip of the champagne. Temari glanced at her glass while licking her lips with satisfaction. "I always enjoy this champagne" she said and looked at Shikamaru.

The young woman was stunned as she could see her boyfriend drink up the whole glass. She cooked an eyebrow as she saw much of a drinker Shikamaru really was. He let out a gasp after finishing his drink, licking his lips while tasting its sweetness. "Damn…...that was a good drink" he noted before taking notice of Temari giggling. "What?" he then said to her.

"You're one hell of a drinker. Perhaps you and drinking fits well, like how Chouji and eating do the same" she then noted, while mentioning Shikamaru's longtime friend. He only shrugged his shoulders in return, pretending he never heard what she just said to him. But the young woman began forming a slightly serious expression on her face. "Now about my brothers. None of them have started any particular relationships yet. Hell, Gaara have yet to know what it truly is" she then told him.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow in return. "Why are you saying that about Gaara? I mean, he does understand feelings, right?" the man with the ponytail asked, wanting to know what his girlfriend really meant.

"Of course, he does! He did that years ago" Temari spoke up, trying to convince Shikamaru that her brother was not the same killer as he was before. The young woman let out a deep sigh before continuing. "What I meant to say was that he has yet to understand how an intimate relationship works. Gaara has never been so enthusiastic about dates, drinking alcohol or even sexual desires. He's like a monk living in celibacy" she then revealed to him.

Shikamaru had to admit that he was starting to get more intrigued by learning more about the Fifth Kazekage not just from Naruto and Tsunade, but also from his older sister. He understood that Temari and Kankuro knew Gaara better, given that they were his family.

"Well I don't know what you're thinking about, but I'm certain that Gaara will eventually find someone who cares about him. As a matter of fact, he was very enthusiastic about hearing our relationship as a couple" Shikamaru expressed his opinions.

This made Temari form a smile. "I guess you have a point there. Furthermore, he will be more interested to observe our wedding" she then said smugly.

Shikamaru's eyes snapped in outrage and rose up from his seat. "Hold on just a damn minute! Since when the hell did we…" the young man was calmed down as Temari forced him down by grabbing his shoulders.

"Quit embarrassing us, idiot!" she snapped while looking around. Even now, she could see some of the other customers and attendants glance over at their table with curious glances. Temari simply waved her hand at them all in return and eventually, Shikamaru did that as well. The dark blonde-haired woman fixed her stern eyes upon the young man. "Damn it, Shikamaru! We're in the Vice Club. That means there are many people in here, some of them who know who I am!" she whispered to him angrily.

"Well, I'm not the one who brought up the wedding-thing!" Shikamaru snapped, before he snapped, fixing a slight grin on his face. "Oh, that's it. I bet you're really popular with the men who comes to this place. Didn't Kankuro say something about it yesterday?" he then asked her smugly.

Temari simply facepalmed as she heard him ask that. "God, you're sounding just like him now. I swear, it's annoying me" the young woman noted before taking a sip from her glass. Shikamaru began pouring more champagne in his glass and once Temari was finished with hers, he did the honor by pouring some onto hers as well. It left her bewildered by his manners. "Thanks, but isn't it usually the woman who are supposed to do that to the man?" she thanked him while asking him a question.

Shikamaru only scoffed at her statement. "Honestly, I could care less about such rules. And besides, we're not drinking sake" the young man with the ponytail told her, before facing her with his usual smug glance. "So Temari, now I know a little about Gaara. What about Kankuro?" he then asked her, wanting to know more about Temari's other brother.

"Gee, why do we always have to talk about my family?" she then asked, although she could see that Shikamaru did not feel like talking about his family. Temari sighed in defeat, thus giving in to her boyfriend's request. "Fine. We can talk about Kankuro. But believe me, he's less interesting compared to Gaara" she insisted to him.

The young man could not help but to chuckle in amusement as he heard this. "You don't say. Unlike Gaara, I feel that Kankuro is less serious about your well-being. Is he even in a relationship yet?" he then asked his girlfriend.

Temari only rolled her eyes as she heard that question. "Actually, you can say many relationships. Kankuro has a tendency to be date two women simultaneously. But you know how that ends up. Many women have ended their relationship with Kankuro after finding him cheating" she then said to him.

Shikamaru smirked. "Well that's gotta suck. Good thing that I'm all yours" she then told her before taking a sip from his champagne. As much as Temari was astounded to hear that word coming from him, she was happy to actually hear it. She was happy to know that she had been the luckiest out of the three Sand Siblings to have found a date. But when they would marry, was yet to be determined. But for now, having this relationship seemed to be enough for both of them.

* * *

 _Inside Naruto's apartment, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

The door to Naruto's apartment opened and in came Sasuke Uchiha. Having just returned home from his first mission out in the fields, he had been instructed by his superiors to return to Naruto's place and be prepared to answer when duty called. The trip to the Leaf Village had not been long, and Naruto had laid out those keys for him to use, given that he would be stuck in the Hokage Tower all day. The raven-haired man took off his sandals and headed for the living room. Before lying on the couch, he opened the door to Naruto's balcony, hoping it would bring him some fresh air from the outside.

Sasuke was thinking about the words Commander Yugao Uzuki had told to him and the other members of the Shadow Squad before they were dismissed. They began to cloud his mind.

"All of you are to return to your homes and wait for our next meeting in three days. We will have to notify about what we have seen and confer with Lady Tsunade. There is a reason why you must wait three days. The Aburame clan has an upcoming wedding on the weekend. Therefore, the ANBU Black Ops has been requested to act as extra security during the wedding. But in the meantime, I want all of you see if you can find any more clues to what we have discovered. Dismissed!" those were the commands given to them by Yugao.

The raven-haired man began thinking about the wedding. He was positive over the fact that he was not invited, which was understandable. But then again, Sasuke didn't feel like starting to mend fences with Shino yet. However, he was certain that both Naruto and Sakura would attend it, as would Tsunade.

Sasuke was more concentrated on what he had seen yesterday, especially in that apartment. The Uchiha clan symbol written in blood, as well as the note he had managed to written, they began to haunt his mind. Was there really another living Uchiha still roaming the world? Or was it just another impostor, trying to copy an Uchiha by using their abilities? Either way, Sasuke felt like he no longer bore the title "Last of the Uchiha clan" any longer. Someone was still out there, but whom? Madara and Obito died.

The young man was filled with so many thoughts in his head, that he slowly drifted away to sleep. All this information had really made him feel tired and he felt like resting on the couch.

As Sasuke was resting deeply, he suddenly snapped when he could hear something land not far from him. Using his quick reflexes, Sasuke reached for his blade and quickly jumped out from the couch to see if there was someone standing at the balcony.

"Who's there!? Show yourself!" Sasuke demanded while brandishing his blade. His changed into that of the Sharingan and he gazed out to the balcony. To his utter surprise, he saw no one standing there. However, there was something stuck on the balcony and it made Sasuke's crimson eyes widen. "What…" he uttered out lowly.

Standing in the middle of a balcony was an arrow, but not any particular arrow. As Sasuke got closer, he realized that this arrow must've been shot from a crossbow. But something was wrapped around the arrow. However, Sasuke would not be fooled. He immediately glanced around the nearby rooftops to see if there was someone hiding near his location. But even as he had activated his Sharingan, Sasuke could not sense a soul nearby.

"Damn…" Sasuke cursed silently before fixing his attention on the paper wrapped arrow the arrow. He took great consideration before grabbing it from the ground, eventually releasing the paper to see what it was. From the looks of it, this paper seemed to have a message, and it didn't take long before Sauke quickly realized something. The way this message was written, it was in the same style as the message he found on the note in the apartment yesterday. "What the hell is this…" the raven-haired man wondered as he began reading the text.

 _Greetings, Sasuke Uchiha. I take it that you discovered the clues I left for you in that apartment near the Great Naruto Bridge. If so, then I guess you must have so many questions about my identity. Normally, I wouldn't have told you about me, but for you, I will make an exception. I have always been intrigued in your journey from being an avenger to a protector. You have done so many things, you became a guinea pig to that pedophile Saanin Orochimaru, captured the Eight-Tailed Ox and it's Jinchuuriki and even managed to defeat Madara Uchiha and his machinations. But yet, as much as I am intrigued, I am not impressed by any of your accomplishments. In fact, I hate you and your family. When your parents were murdered by your brother Itachi, I never mourned nor cried about their demises. It was their own doing. All of you Uchihas have chased dreams that have only lead to your deaths. Even those like Madara, Obito and Itachi did that, and look where that go them? But you are an exception, Sasuke. I now hear that you have pledged yourself to defend this pathetic village, after being poisoned by that damn halfwit Naruto Uzumaki! But that matters not to me, because I have plans to eliminate the Leaf Village, yourself included! I will also visit the graves of the Uchihas and spit upon for the hell they put me through. Now I feel that I have told you enough, Sasuke. One day, you and I will meet face to face. But for now, heal your wounds and wait._

 _Best regards from your death: the Crimson Dragon._

 _P.S.: With all this info I have told you, you may wonder why I would do such. Well, I felt like you needed to hear of my motives. We are after all…..from the same family._

After reading all this info, Sasuke dropped the paper on the ground. His mind was filled with so many questions that had yet to be answered. However, something else was different with Sasuke. It was as if the raven-haired man knew more than what he actually realized.

"What is the meaning of this…" Sasuke uttered out lowly before gazing to the horizon beyond the cityscape. "What do you want with me!?" he then asked angrily, his crimson eyes filled with rage. Anger had begun boiling inside of him, given that he had felt stalked probably for the first time in his life.

Outside the Leaf Village and on the top of one of the many trees of the forest, someone had been gazing up towards the Leaf Village, and it was the same hooded individual who had been stalking Sasuke during his mission in the village near the Great Naruto Bridge. He kept gazing at the village for a few seconds before jumping down from the top, thus landing on one of the branches.

"You have received my message, just as I had expected" he spoke up with a hint of satisfaction in his voice. All of a sudden, his hood began showing the crimson eyes of the Sharingan, indicating that this man had some dealings with the Uchiha clan, but how. "Mark my words, Sasuke! We will meet! And this time, no one will protect your from me, not even your damn parents! You will join them along with the rest of the Uchiha clan after I send you to the afterlife!" he then said, his Sharingan glowing redder by the minute. Once again, he had expressed his anger and resentment towards Sasuke. But what was his relationship with him and his family.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: That was another great chapter of this prequel to A New Generation. We saw how Lee and Shikamaru were dealing with their girlfriends, as well as how Gaara is getting curious about things such as a relationship. And in the end, we managed to see Sasuke once again confronting this mysterious Crimson Dragon, who seems to have some form of grudge towards Saskue and his family. In the next chapter, I want to have Naruto onboard. I will also want to write on Shino's wedding, where many of our characters are invited as guests. But on that, I think I will just write on the party. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story. And by the way, Komaza in this story is one of Ebizo's many grandchildren. He is not that in the canon story. Stay tuned for more.**


	8. Bugs in a Park

**Author's note: For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Bugs in a Park**

 _Inside Naruto's apartment, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

"So there is someone who's after you?" Naruto asked Sasuke as he, Kakashi, Sakura, Sai, Yugao, Yamato and Asami all sat in Naruto's apartment. They were all sitting in his living room as it was evening outside. Having been informed by Sasuke about this message, Naruto felt like bringing in those shinobis, in hopes of learning about their opinions on this situation. "Whoever this Crimson Dragon is, he sure has some nerves sneaking up to the Leaf Village and deliver you this message on MY balcony. Wait till I get my hands on that stalker. He'll pay!" the blonde-haired man then said while fixing a slight grit with his teeth while thinking over this matter.

"I am amazed by how he was able to avoid getting spotted by the guards, not to mention that there are ANBUs patrolling the nearby forest" Yugao noted while listening to this.

Kakashi took a glance at the pictures that were lying on the table, as well as the message Sasuke had been receiving. "From what I can gather, there is no doubt in my mind that the Crimson Dragon must have a relation to the Uchiha clan" the white-haired man with the mask noted before glancing over at Sasuke, who had so far only faced the table. "It also seems that he is very interested in you, given that he seems to know your family personally, Sasuke" Kakashi added.

Sasuke grunted in return. "I'm perfectly aware of that. But how does a stranger like him understand all those things about me? He was never there when I went down the path of an avenger" the young man then said. "And honestly, I don't see why he would resent my family most, when they along with the other Uchihas were victims of this massacre" he then added, still recalling the horrendous massacre many years ago.

"Obviously he must have studied you and your history" Yamato told him while closing his eyes in return. "In my theory, me may be one of Orochimaru's former accomplices. But that is just my own suspicions. We can't verify whether this Crimson Dragon has had any connections to the Uchiha clan" he then insisted to those around him.

"That's what we were afraid of" Yugao spoke up, her stern eyes glancing over to Sasuke. "There is a reason why Lady Tsunade put you in the Shadow Squad, ex-criminal. She always had suspicions about you not being the last Uchiha. And now that you are with us, the enemy seems to taken more interest in revealing himself" the purple-haired woman told him.

Sasuke didn't give much thought and simply huffed while looking away, much to the dismay of Yugao and Asami, with the teal-haired woman taking this as an insult to her commander.

"Show the commander some respect, ex-criminal. It's unwise to….." Asami was interrupted by the voice of Naruto.

The blonde-haired man fixed a slightly stern glance at the two members of the Shadow Squad. "Hey. In my home, we value respect. As such, we refrain from calling each other rude names. Frankly, I don't like how you resort to call Sasuke an ex-criminal" Naruto then told them while reminding where they were.

"We can call him whatever we want, Naruto Uzumaki" Yugao told him thus forcing Naruto to stop speaking and listen. "And besides, if he wants respect from us, he will have to earn it. Pleadings from you will not benefit Sasuke in reaching that goal" she then told him.

Naruto felt somewhat taken aback by hearing the tone in the commander's voice, yet he could feel Sakura put a hand on his shoulder, thus urging him to not escalate this situation with his big mouth. Reluctantly, Naruto refrained from opening his mouth to protest.

Surprisingly, Sasuke could be heard chuckling to himself, and he glanced at the two women while nodding his head to them formally. "I must thank you for standing up for me. Loyal as he may be, Naruto never lets me give a chance to shine" the raven-haired man told them with a hint of humor in his voice.

Sai, Yamato and Kakashi found this amusing, yet neither Asami nor Yugao were impressed by his attempt to compliment them. Even Naruto had to admit he was surprised that Sasuke would pull on something like that on those two ladies. The blonde-haired man chuckled inside of himself.

"Heh. I didn't like what you said about me, but it's funny how you attempted to humor them. Perhaps this is one of your new quialities" Naruto noted to himself while glancing at Sasuke.

Yugao slammed her handpalm on the table, thus gaining everyone's attention. "Enough fooling around. We better concentrate on what this message means for us in the Leaf Village. Once again, a terrorist is seeing it as his next target for his twisted agendas" she told them all while looking around everyone seated around the table. "And while it's three days before we're out in the fields again, something will take place in the Leaf Village. You all know what happens tomorrow" she then added.

Yamato's eyes widened in slight realization. "Of course. The Aburame Clan Wedding" the brown-haired man noted lowly. "Shino Aburame will marry a kunoichi from the clan, though I'm not sure who she really is" he then added to his explanation.

"But commander, isn't it too early to suggest that the enemy would strike at a wedding hosted by the Aburames?" Sai politely asked his superior. "While Lady Tsunade and other important politicians and clan heads are invited, I see no reason for why he would seek to attack us at a minor celebration" he then added to his statement.

"Sai may have a point there" Sakura spoke up while agreeing with the pale-skinned man and his thoughts. Sakura the faced Yugao and Asami. "It's not like the whole Leaf Village is participating in that wedding. This isn't a Chuunin Exam" the pinkette told the two ladies.

"Point taken" Asami noted with a slight smile formed with her mouth. However, she still fixed a slight frown with her mouth. "But we should not let our guard down. The Aburame clan has requested professional security from us in the ANBU Black Ops. With that, safety at the wedding is guaranteed" the teal-haired woman told Sakura, who was happy to know that.

Kakashi was now beginning to look at the pictures the Shadow Squad had took of the clues they found in the village near the Great Naruto Bridge. Even Naruto and Sakura had begun doing that as well.

"No…" Naruto spoke up as saw a picture of the slain Cloud and Stone ninjas onboard the ship. "What are these people? Pirates? Raiders?" the blonde-haired man began asking Sasuke and those sitting around him.

"Whoever they are, they sure are heartless enough to do trafficking with living human beings" Sakura noted grimly while looking at a picture which showed the Uchiha clan symbol written in blood inside a container. The pinkette looked up to Sasuke. "You say you also found this symbol in an apartment above a restaurant?" she then asked him, who simply nodded his head in return. Sakura could not believe what she was seeing. "This

Kakashi put the picture back on the table. "What we're dealing with here appears to be a twisted individual, no different from Madara Uchiha and Orochimaru. But for what reason is he trafficking those shinobis?" the masked man then wondered sternly.

"From what we also gather, these ships have not just traveled from the Land of Earth to the Land of Lightning. But they have also been spotted in the ocean near the between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire" Sai spoke up on those ships. "But our sources in the Land of Waves tells us that similar ships have been spotted. That makes me worried whether people from that nation also has been transported. The Land of Waves is a famous tourist attraction to visitors from all corners of the world" the pale-skinned man then remarked while thinking about the subject.

"I agree with your sentiments, Sai. But we will find the answers when we alongside the Grim Guard and the Divine Division depart from the Land of Waves and search the nearby islands of the Land of Water" Yugao told him while suddenly putting a map on the table, which showed them the Land of Fire and the surrounding countries. The purple-haired woman pointed her finger at the tiny island nation which was the Land of Waves. "One of these islands may be worth investigating: the Island of Tides. Yet for some reason, we can't see it on the map" she then added.

Kakashi suddenly rose up from his seat while motioning for the others to follow as well. "Then I think we all deserve some resting for now. Many of us will be attending the wedding, so it's unwise to not be there if you're sleepy" he then said while nodding his head at Naruto. "See you tomorrow then" he told him.

Soon, all the other visitors left the apartment, including Sakura, who give Naruto a kiss on his cheek before leaving. This only left Naruto and Sasuke alone in the living room. Now that they were alone, silence was all that stood between them. The blonde-haired man could see that Sasuke did not seem quite talkative for some reason and it made him slightly concerned. Naruto was about to ask Sasuke if he was alright, only for him to stand up and head towards the bathroom.

However, Sasuke did look at his friend with a slight smile on his face. "Sorry, but I really feel like going to sleep. All this impression has made want to end this day and wait until the next one. But is there something that you wish to say to me?" the raven-haired man told him while asking Naruto.

Naruto only scratched behind his neck and fixed a cheeky grin on his face. "Nah, it's nothin' really. You just go and brush your teeth then. I'm also hitting the sack soon. Good night" he then told Sasuke, who proceeded towards the bathroom. This left Naruto alone in the living room. Many thoughts began swirling inside his mind right now. "Sasuke, I can understand that you won't be joining the wedding, which is understandable given how Shino and his family is not yet trustworthy of you" he said in his head, before fixing a smile while thinking about something. "But during my wedding, I really want you to be there, no matter what others tell me" he then thought about his own wedding. But that would have to wait, because wedding was more than a giant celebration. It was also a special event for two people to spend their rest of their lives as a couple.

* * *

 _Next day, outside the Nara home, Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

The sun was rising up to the sky and a new day was dawning. However, someone had not been able to get enough sleep. And that was Shikamaru Nara. The young diplomat and his comrades had returned to the Leaf Village, even though they had spent the night camping in the forests of the Land of Fire. But they had not been alone. Temari had been joining them, after being requested by Gaara to have some talks with Tsunade. As the two neared the Nara home, Shikamaru was yawning loudly while scratching behind his neck.

"Man, what a drag this is" Shikamaru said while Temari walked beside him. "I just had to do this visit right before the Aburame Can Wedding" he added while groaning. As the head of the Nara clan, it was important that Shikamaru would attend the wedding as a guest of honor.

Temari only shook her head slightly while hearing this. "Cheer up, Shikamaru. We're back in the Leaf Village. There's no need for you to be distressed. You won't miss the wedding" the dark blonde-haired woman told him.

The man with the ponytail snapped at her. "Yeah, except that all the dating and champagne-drinking in the Sand Village almost made me forget the wedding" he said before rubbing his face. "And not to mention we began traveling through the desert and the Land of Rivers so late in the day. I knew it was a bad idea camping the forest. Aoshi, Kotetsu and Izumo will pay for goading me into this" Shikamaru groaned, remembering how he had been having difficulties with sleeping in the forest.

His girlfriend did not know how to help him out of this sour mood. However, the couple were soon approached by someone as they neared the Nara home. Opening the door to them was Shikamaru's mother, as well as Shikaku's widow: Yoshino Nara. The brown-haired woman stood in the doorway while having her arms crossed. However, she fixed a smug smile as she saw her son walk up to her, as well as Temari being with him.

"Well, look who's finally home. I was thinking about sending someone to haul your ass back here" Yoshino said smugly.

Shikamaru only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Spare me your taunts, mom. You have no idea how stressed I was when I remembered what today is" he told her, still feeling tired. "And why the hell did that wedding had to take place today?" he then asked, still feeling a hint of frustration in his voice.

Yoshino was not impressed. "You were among the first to receive that invitation, Shikamaru. As clan head, you need to prioritize your duties above your job sometimes" the middle-aged woman told him before fixing her eyes upon Temari. She smiled at her. "Temari. Happy to see you. It's been a while since we last talked" she told her.

Temari nodded her head in return. "Likewise, Yoshino" she said with a smile before looking at her exhausted boyfriend. "Anyway, I think we better get him to a shower or something. He can't be attending the wedding like this" the young woman then suggested.

Shikamaru's mother smirked by what she heard from Temari. "You took the words right out of my mouth. Both of you should head for the shower. I'll lay out the clothes you two will be needing for the visit" she told Temari before turning her strict glance at her son. "And don't even think about skipping breakfast, boy. You can't come at a wedding and let your stomach growl" Yoshino said before heading into the home.

"Let my stomach growl? Give me a break, mom! We aren't the Akimichis!" Shikamaru blurted out before he was held around by Temari. She then pulled him inside the home, much to the young man's own surprise. "Temari, what the hell are you…." Shikamaru asked his girlfriend, who grinned at him in return.

"Helping you to the bathroom of course. A shower and some food outta get you into a better mood" she answered.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes in return as he heard that. "Gee, what I get to be stuck with bossy women like Temari and mom. Except that Temari is sweeter and kinder, that is" he noted in his head. And even though he was not showing it, Shikamaru was actually happy on the inside. Today, it would be a good time to show everyone what kind of man he really was. He also hoped that bringing with Temari would leave an impression on some people. "Well, this can't go bad. Me and Temari are honored guests after all" the man with the ponytail added as he and Temari entered the bathroom to use the shower.

* * *

 _In the streets of the Leaf Village_

Sakura Haruno was dressed in a pink kimono while having her hair tied into a red headband. Her kimono was tied around red binds. It was a sunny day and there was guarantee that there would be no rain, thus giving all the ladies the opportunity to wear lovely kimonos at the wedding. As she kept walking in the street, Sakura was remined about the things she had heard in Naruto's apartment yesterday. Her thoughts were still haunted by the things Sasuke and his Shadow Squad superiors had discovered on their mission. However, Sakura wanted to remain hopeful that whoever this Crimson Dragon was, he would be brought to justice.

She sighed deeply. "Well, hopefully this wedding will give us some breathing space from all the troubles happening outside the village. Hopefully, Naruto understands that as well" Sakura remarked while thinking about today's event.

"Hey Sakura! Wait up!" the pinkette was interrupted in her thoughts and quickly turned around to see who it was that had called out to her. Sakura smiled. Walking up to her in a fast pace was Tenten. The young brunette was dressed in a light orange kimono tied with blue binds. In addition, she had also styled her usual buns into two pigtails, that resembled chains. They then walked together. "You look good as always. I like the color on the kimono But where's Naruto?" Tenten asked her.

Sakura smiled at her friend. "Well, considering that Naruto is one of the wedding's honored guests, he had to meet up earlier. Lady Tsunade, Shizune, the Leaf Council and the invited clan heads had to do that as well" she told Tenten.

"Well that figures. Then I guess Ino and Shikamaru must be over there as we speak. But Shino has invited the Hyuuga and Inuzuka clans over, right?" the brunette then asked Sakura.

"Of course, they are invited to the wedding. Shino wanted Hinata, Kiba and Kurenai-sensei to be present as well. There's no way that he would not invite his team" Sakura insisted, despite not forgetting the episode that happened between Kiba and Hinata. She wondered whether Tenten actually knew about it, or it was just her, Naruto and probably Shino. Frankly, it was best that it was kept secret to most Leaf villagers. It would only put a bad reputation on the great clans. "So, how did it go with…you know?" Sakura suddenly felt the need to ask Tenten about what happened between her and Lee yesterday, given that she hadn't talked with her after she visited the hospital.

Tenten could not help but to sigh deeply as she heard Sakura ask her that question. Seeing her friend like this made Sakura realize her errors and she immediately tried to change her course.

"It's okay, Tenten. You don't have to answer if you're not comfortable with it. I'm sorry if I let my curiosity get the…." Sakura was suddenly interrupted by Tenten.

"No, no, it's okay. Lee was a patient at the hospital, so you deserve to know what happened between us" the young brunette insisted while starting to recall the slight argument she had with Lee. "While there are many things that I wish could have gone differently, I really felt that Lee needed to hear it. But still, I'm not proud of it" she then told Sakura, who listened carefully.

The pinkette knew that she could not say stupid things right now. But she needed to say something that would not make her feel depressed, given that she was an invited guest to the wedding. An idea suddenly popped into her head and it revolved around Lee.

"I'm sure Lee will be present at the wedding. He was also invited, right?" Sakura told her and Tenten glanced at her with widened eyes. Sakura nodded her head. "Yeah, maybe you now have the chance to talk things over about your behavior, given that you are lest frustrated than you were yesterday" the pinkette then suggested to Tenten.

Tenten could not help but to form a slight smile as she heard what Sakura just said. Perhaps she was right. This wedding was the right opportunity for her to talk things over with Lee. But would he be able to have a one-on-one talk with her? That was one of the many questions that dwelled inside her head right now.

"You're right, Sakura. I'll try talk with Lee and try to make him see that I didn't mean to be that harsh on him" the brunette told her.

The two women kept walking towards the Aburame clan compound, where the wedding would take place, not to mention that there would be so many people over there attending, honorary guests or not.

* * *

 _Outside the Aburame compound, in a park_

So many guests were present to witness the wedding between Shino Aburame, and a clanmate of the Aburame clan: Umeko Aburame. Guests ranged from politicians and clan heads to close friends and allies of the Aburame clan. All of them had come to witness the Aburame heir getting married. Shino was dressed in traditional black clothes while the young blonde-haired woman was dressed in a white kimono. What even astounded many of the guests was the fact that they both wore sunglasses, even as the bride and the groom kissed.

The ceremony took place outside the Aburame compound, in the Aburame clan's personal gardens. Both Shino and Umeko were joined by fellow members of the clan, including Shino's own father Shibi Aburame. As his father and clan head of the Aburame clan, Shibi felt proud over what he was seeing, especially since he admired young Umeko's tenacity. Members of the Aburame clan were sitting on the front-row seats to observe the wedding, among them well-renowned clansmen like Tatsuma, Muta and Yoji Aburame. Once the ceremony was over, the real socializing could begin. The celebration now took place in the park, which was bug-free, of course.

Even now, so many guests were hanging out in crowed while speaking to each, although many of them had approached the newlywed couple to congratulate them. Among them was Naruto and Sakura, who had been sitting on the seats reserved for honorary guests. They approached Shino and Umeko, who were now conversing with both Tsunade and Shizune. The couple with sunglasses took notice of them and smiled slightly.

"Hey there, Shino, Umeko! Congrats with the wedding" Naruto spoke to them while showing his usual smug smile.

"We are so happy that you managed to build on this marriage. I can't imagine how much it affected both of you" Sakura told them while trying to be supportive of them as she could.

Umeko simply nodded her head at them in return while glancing at her husband. "Yes, I admit that I felt nervous about having this wedding" she said, only for Shino to hold around her with his arm. "But with enough encouragement and confessions from Shino, I realized how strong my love for him truly was. It made me convinced to go through with this process" the blonde-haired woman added.

Shino felt the same way and kissed the young woman on her cheek before facing Naruto and Sakura. "I am thankful that both of you could come to my wedding. On behalf of the Aburame clan, it's an honor to host great heroes of the Leaf Village such as you two. You inspire us all" the dark brown-haired man told them, smiling for most of the time instead of showing them his usual frown.

Sakura felt her cheeks blush a little while Naruto simply scratched behind his neck while chuckling nervously. "Oh please, you're giving us too much credit here" he said with a hint of humor in his voice.

Tsunade had to smirk by what she was seeing and simply decided to act on her mischievous thoughts. "I can't wait to see you two hosting a wedding" the blonde-haired woman told them, thus causing both Naruto and Sakura to snap in embarrassment. The Fifth Hokage found amusement in seeing their reactions and even the newlywed couple did that as well.

"Lady Tsunade, I think we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves here" Shizune told her nervously, before facing both Shino and Umeko with a gentle smile. "Anyway, we are proud to have been invited to your wedding as honorary guests" the black-haired woman told them while bowing her head with formality on her voice.

Meanwhile, Kiba Inuzuka was now standing by the long table, where the guests were served with all kinds of drinks, including wine, champagne and some sake as well. The young man, having arrived at the wedding later than that of his fellow Inuzukas, was now taking a glass of champagne while mingling with the many guests standing and speaking to one another. But as Kiba was surveying the various crowds, he soon stopped as his eyes caught glimpse of Hinata.

Kiba's jaw dropped. Because he had arrived late, he had not been able to see Hinata at the ceremony, but now, he did it. He was stunned by the blunette's choice of kimono. She wore a white kimono with black bindings tied around her. But what made him even more turned on was the fact that she didn't tie her hair into a topknot or anything. It simply fell down to her back. Right now, she along with her father and sister were having a talk with Shibi Aburame as well as the two esteemed members of the Leaf Council: Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.

"Wow….Hinata" Kiba uttered out lowly, admitting to have never seen Hinata wearing a kimono before, given how she felt embarrassed when wearing those around men. "You look…..beautiful" he added, only to snap as he realized that he was only staring at her while talking to himself. It made Kiba come back to his senses. He then decided to take a sip from this glass only to feel someone slap on his back from behind. This made Kiba sprout out the champagne.

"What are you looking at, ya bum?" the rude and gruff voice came from Goro Inuzuka, Kiba's future brother-in-law. The black-haired man simply grinned as he could see Kiba sprout out his drink.

The brown-haired man turned around to glare at him. "Damn it, Goro! Do you have to act like an ass right now?" he questioned him with distaste.

"Come on! I saw you staring at Hinata" Goro said while taking a brief glance at her before looking back at his clanmate. He did a mischievous gesture with his thumb while speaking to him lowly. "Baby's got back, I'll give you that" he then said with a hint of humor in his voice.

Hearing this made Kiba grit his teeth in slight anger and he really wanted to punch Goro for saying such words about Hinata. But he was still part of the Inuzuka clan, not to mention that they were now in Shino's wedding. Kiba could not risk ruining his teammate's day. Therefore, he restrained his urge to punch the black-haired man. But on another note, Kiba fixed a slight smirk on his mouth, thinking about a good idea.

"Ah, so you think she's got back, eh?" Kiba asked him, much to Goro's own confusion. The brown-haired man fixed a mischievous grin on his face while leaning in to whisper something to Goro. "I'll tell Hana you said that" he then said.

The black-haired Inuzuka clansmen was furious over hearing what his future brother-in-law told him and he was about to confront Kiba, only to feel someone pull his right ear hard. "EYOOOUUCHHH!" he said, trying not to be loud amidst this party. It was Hana who held him like that, the young brunette glancing at Goro sternly. "Hana…what are you…." Goro felt more pain as Hana pulled him more.

"I told you not to misbehave, Goro. Now get over to mom and Akira. I want to have some words with Kiba" Hana told her and Goro immediately did as she told him. The young woman was dressed in a light brown kimono with black bindings tied around her. She then faced her brother while crossing her arms. "Why did you arrive late, Kiba? Mom told us that we had to show up at the wedding earlier" she then asked him.

Kiba only shrugged his shoulders in return while taking another glass of champagne. "I overslept, but no big deal. I arrived at the beginning of the ceremony. You think I would miss my teammate's wedding?" he then said to her in return.

The brunette only rolled her eyes in return. "You are so hopelessly clueless sometimes" she noted in her thoughts before facing Kiba once again. "Anyway, you better go and congratulate him, considering that you are as you say: his teammate" Hana added with a suggestion towards her younger brother.

"I was gonna go there, Hana. But first, I want to ask with Hinata will come with me to congratulate him together" Kiba pointed out to her before making his move, but not before taking a glass of champagne with him and looking over his shoulder to glance at his older sister. "Honestly, sis. You need to stop acting like mom. It's almost as I could'va called ya Tsume jr." he then added before proceeding.

Hana sighed deeply in irritation before relaxing by taking a glass of champagne in her hand. "Not only are you hopelessly clueless, you are also hopelessly reckless as well. You really need to think about your attitude Kiba" she noted lowly while taking a sip from her glass.

Shikamaru and Temari were enjoying themselves with some glasses of champagne while observing the many guests that were attending the wedding. Shikamaru had managed to compose himself after feeling so grouchy in the morning. Temari had been of great encouragement to him. The man with the ponytail glanced at his girlfriend, and he couldn't admit but being impressed by what he was seeing. Temari wore a black kimono with red drawings and bindings tied around her. While black was not his favorite color, Shikamaru had to admit that Temari looked pretty good in that kimono.

Temari mused to herself while seeing her boyfriend glance at him. "Hmmm….do you like the kimono?" she asked him while taking a glance at the kimono she was currently wearing. "We're not going to some funeral, but I find it comfy to have on. Your mom was good in recommending me this" the dark blonde-haired woman noted while stretching out her sleeves.

"Trust me, I'll find you a better kimono someday" Shikamaru told her while fixing a smug smile.

"Oh, so does that mean you're buying it? Great!" Temari exclaimed at him.

Shikamaru's face slumped, realizing that he had just said something really stupid right now. "Me and my big mouth…." Shikamaru noted in his head, feeling so stupid over having said that.

"Hey there, Shikamaru! Temari!" the cheerful and laidback voice came from Chouji Akimichi. The chubby man appeared before the couple alongside his father Chouza Akimichi, who was also the current clan head of the Akimichi clan. Shikamaru smiled by seeing his teammate and his father approach him. "Glad to see both of you here. I was worried about whether you wouldn't make it to the wedding" the brown-haired man with the goatee exclaimed with a grin.

Shikamaru sighed. "Well, ya know me. I sometimes let my job carry me away. But I still remembered the wedding. Spent almost the entire night racing back home. But we camped in the forest. A huge pain in the ass if you ask me" he told them while scratching behind his neck.

Both Chouji and his father took amusement to this, as did Temari, who had to hide her smirk from her boyfriend. "How was your trip to the Sand Village anyway?" Chouji then asked him, wanting to know more about his recent business trip.

"It went smooth, I guess. Other than this, me and Temari had a great time together" Shikamaru said while giving his girlfriend a stern glance to which Temari simply smirked at in return. "Except for the moment when I was notified about her brothers being aware of our relationship" he then added with no enthusiasm in his voice.

Temari frowned while putting and arm around Shikamaru. "Oh please, you expected them to not know about us until our engagement? You're being way unrealistic by underestimating my brothers, Shikamaru" she pointed out to him.

Chouza chuckled by what he was seeing. "Well, so far, you are a terrific clan head, Shikamaru" the red-haired man told him, causing Shikamaru to turn his attention to him. Chouza nodded his head at him. "That's right. Good benevolence, a good job, and a lovely girlfriend, you almost remind me of your dad when he was your age" the clan head of the Akimichi clan told him.

Shikamaru snapped in embarrassment over hearing this while both Chouji and Temari laughed with what Chouza just said. However, Shikamaru soon found himself smiling over the fact that the clan head of the Akimichi clan saw some similarities between him and Shikaku Nara, his late father. Even though he was now longer with him, Shikamaru knew that his own father would be proud to see him what kind of a clan head he had become since the aftermath of the world war.

Smirking, Shikamaru could not help but to nod his head at the middle-aged man. "Thanks, Chouza. It's nice to see that even you takes notice of my potentiality as a clan head" the young man with the ponytail told him, while holding Temari around her shoulder.

"So there you guys are" a female voice came to the group. Turning to their left side, they could see Ino Yamanaka standing there, the blonde-haired woman dressed in an orange kimono tied with yellow binds. The young head of the Yamanaka clan had even tied her blonde hair into a topknot, even though she still had a small ponytail running down her back. Her teammates had to admit that she was beautiful and Ino could see it on their faces. She beamed with confidence. "What do you think about my kimono? Isn't it perfect?" she then asked them while trying to show them her feminine charms.

Chouji gave her thumbs up while grinning cheekily. "You look terrific as always, Ino. Heck, it's better than Sakura's" the chubby man then said to her.

Hearing this caused Ino to feel incredibly confident in her own abilities, given what she heard Chouji say about Sakura. But she felt like needing more praises, so she turned her attention to Shikamaru, who only raised an eyebrow in return. Ino smirked. "Aren't you gonna compliment my outfit as well, Shikamaru?" she then questioned him.

"What? Oh yeah, well I think…." Shikamaru was interrupted by Temari as she stood before him and glanced at Ino sternly. This made Shikamaru snap in realization, as he knew what was about to happen.

"Hey! For your information, Shikamaru isn't your man. So don't get any ideas with him, you bimbo" Temari sternly told Ino, who did not take kindly to her words.

"Gee, I was only asking what he thought about my kimono. What's there to be pissed off about?" Ino questioned her while crossing her arms with a huff. "And for the record, I'm not hitting on Shikamaru. He's not even my type" she then told Temari.

Temari felt herself losing patience with Ino's snotty behavior and she was about to confront Shikamaru's teammate, only for Shikamaru himself to hold her back. Shikamaru held firm on Temari's right shoulder. But he was not the only one. Even Chouji had decided to intervene and managed to separate Temari and Ino from each other. However, Ino had not made any move to assault Temari.

"Easy there, ladies. You can't fight here. We're in a wedding" Chouji told them while motioning his head towards Shino and Umeko, who were seen standing and having a chat with other guests. "You don't want to ruin his day, right?" the chubby man then told the two kunoichis in kimonos.

Both ladies realized that Chouji spoke the truth when it came to not cause trouble at the wedding. This was Shino's day and none of them could screw this up. That is why both Ino and Temari faced each other with mature glanced.

"I'm sorry" they said in unison, much to the satisfactions of those around him. In fact, Ino even proceeded to walk away from the group, thus leaving her teammates to wonder whether there was something wrong about her. Shikamaru began leaning onto his buddy to whisper something.

"Is it just me or is Ino feeling somewhat disappointed?" Shikamaru whispered onto his teammate, who sighed deeply in return when hearing this.

"I don't know, Shikamaru. But it appears that Ino is somewhat disappointed by the fact that…you know" Chouji told him in return.

Hearing this caused Shikamaru to only shrug his shoulders in return. In fact, he was even beginning to see the picture. "I see. Ino's slightly upset about Sasuke not being invited to Shino's wedding. But she needs to get over it. He's the one deciding who can attend his wedding not her" he noted in his thoughts before even glancing slightly at Temari and then at Chouji. "I also think she is somewhat envious of me and Chouji being in relationships. And that can be said the same when she looks at Sakura" the man with the ponytail added to his thoughts.

Kiba was finally nearing Hinata and her family and he sucked it up before trying to play it cool with her strict family, as well as with Homura and Koharu. He approached her with a smile, and decided to start with a compliment regarding her kimono.

"Hey Hinata, glad to see you here" the brown-haired man told Hinata to gain her attention. The bluenette immediately turned to her left side and spotted Kiba standing there with his usual smile. Her expression went from being bored to being happy. "And your kimono….it makes you look beautiful….no kidding" Kiba then said, finding some courage to tell Hinata those words.

"T-thank you, Kiba" Hinata exclaimed, her face clearly telling him how happy she was to see him.

But it didn't take long for Hiashi and Hanabi Hyuuga to take notice of this. Hiashi's bright eyes narrowed with a hint of displeasure as he faced the young Inuzuka. Homura and Koharu took notice of him as well. But Kiba surprisingly fixed a smile while facing them all.

"I'm glad to see you folks as well. It's a good thing the Hyuuga clan cares about others" Kiba then told them, although he was specifically talking to Hiashi. "And even the Leaf Council is here. I'm humbled" he then said while glancing at the elderly councilmembers.

Hiashi did not so much as smile while glancing at him. "Hmmm…...I never expected you to show up, given the kind of slacker you are known to be" he then spoke up with his usual judgmental tone. Kiba did not take kindly to this, but something happened before his feral eyes when Hinata suddenly intervened.

"Father, not now" Hinata suddenly called out to Hiashi, her bright eyes carrying a hint of determination. "You made a promise to Shino and his father. No insults towards fellow guests" the blunette then added. But Hinata was surprised as Kiba stood near her, eventually showing her the glass of champagne he had been hiding from her by holding it near his back.

Kiba smiled cheekily before bowing and holding up the glass for her. "Here. A nice glass of champagne to a gorgeous lady like you" he then said to her while using his charismatic charms at her.

Hinata's cheeks blushed red, yet she managed to keep control over it. That means she didn't faint. Nevertheless, she felt enamored by Kiba's gentleman act and happily took the glass from him. "Thank you so much, Kiba" she said while taking the glass and holding it up near Kiba's. "Shall we do a toast?" she then asked him.

Kiba grinned in return. "Absolutely" he said and the two did that, much to the dismay of Hiashi, although Hanabi seemed to have a more moderate reaction to this.

The head of the Hyuuga clan simply stared at them while having his arms crossed. "Hmmm, he does not impress me for a minute" he noted in his head while seeing how friendly they behaved.

"I think he does mean Hinatat good" Hanabi spoke up while observing the two having a good time drinking. As much as she often despised Kiba's gruff attitude, the teenaged brunette had to admit that she was happy on her sister's behalf on finding someone she could relate to. But then again, Kiba and Hinata were worlds apart when it came to relationships. But her attention was suddenly focused on someone who made a coughing sound to gain everyone's attention

It was the head of the Aburame clan: Shibi Aburame. He fixed his glance upon both Kiba and Hinata, surprisingly forming a smile. This was unusual for them to see, given Shibi's stern and calculating personality. He was basically the elder version of his newlywed son.

"Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuuga. As comrades of my son, I must thank you for being willing to attend his wedding. I can also assure you that Shino is also grateful to your blessings" he said, his usually low voice filled with much more gentleness than usual. "In fact, why don't you to go over to him and Umeko and congratulate them? Now that my son is now a husband, he would be more than happy to receive your support as his comrades" he then suggested to them.

Hinata nodded weakly while Kiba simply grinned at him smugly in return. The brown-haired man seemed to have enough courage to answer him. "You bet we will. I was just gonna ask Hinata about it" he told Shibi before fixing his eyes on the bluenette. Hinata tried her best not to let his handsome look consume her. "Hey Hinata, what do you say we go over to Shino and check if he's alright? I bet that Umeko could need some advice from you" the brown-haired man suggested to her.

"Y-yes. We should head over to him and congratulate them both" Hinata then replied, even though she was still trying to control her blushing.

Kiba had to admit that Hinata looked very sweet when she felt somewhat timid. He then got an idea and reached out his right hand to her, which stunned Hinata. Kiba smiled at her while motioning for her to take it. "Here. Let me walk you over there. You can hold your glass with your right hand and hold my hand with your left. It's just that simple" the brown-haired man then told her.

At first, Hinata felt like she was going to faint. But something inside her encouraged the bluenette not to let her consciousness go away. She felt so enamored by the kind of gentleman Kiba was behaving towards her right now. Reaching out her left hand, she grabbed Kiba's right hand and held it with a soft touch. She was even stunned by feeling how soft Kiba's grip on her hand was as well.

Hinata giggled and looked at Kiba with a nod. "Well, shall we go?" she then asked him while trying to be a ladylike woman.

Kiba chuckled as he saw that. "You said it" he told her and the couple began walking towards Shino and Umeko.

Both Hiashi and Hanabi were stunned by seeing how happy Hinata felt when being around Kiba. While a hint of regret could be seen on Hiashi's face. Hanabi had to smile as she saw her sister walking with Kiba, hand to hand.

"Hmmm, I never expected Tsume's son to be so…...sophisticated" Koharu noted to her fellow councilmember with a slight smirk.

"That is because most Inuzukas are able to save their frenzy for the fight" Homura noted while adjusting his glasses.

Koharu chuckled as she heard what Homura just said. "Either way, Kiba Inuzuka may have started to grow up a little since the last time I saw him" the elderly woman said, recalling how she usually found Kiba to be quite the loudmouth, on the same level as Naruto.

On another corner, Kakashi was having a chat with Yamato and Kurenai. Kurenai was dressed in a red kimono, while she was joined by her son Ayumu, who stood beside his mother while holding her hand. Their conversation was quite pleasant.

"So tell me Kurenai. Are you feeling proud over having mentored Shino throughout his time as a shinobi?" Kakashi asked her.

Kurenai only smiled smugly in return. "You bet I am" the crimson-eyed woman told him in return while facing Kakashi. "I must admit that I always expected either Kiba or Hinata to end up getting married first, especially Kiba given his quick ability to get into talks with the ladies. But Shino's efforts, caught me by surprise" she told him.

Yamato smiled as he listened. "Speaking of Kiba, I heard that his older sister is currently engaged even as we speak. But the date of their marriage is yet to be set" the brown-haired man said while glancing over to see Hana, who was having a drink with both Goro and another clansman from the Inuzuka clan: Akira Inuzuka. "That woman does intrigue me sometimes. But what about Kiba? It will be amusing to see what kind of woman a ruffian like him ends up with" he then admitted while speaking about Kiba.

Kurenai did not know how to respond to this, yet she tried to play along with the joke by chuckling lightly at Yamato's joke. "Heh. You're not the only one who think about that. I also do that" she told him, while hoping that neither him, Kakashi or other of her fellow jounins knew about what had happened between Kiba and Hinata at the Hyuuga mansion.

Kakashi began looking surveying the park for some reason and his colleagues wondered why he was doing that. The white-haired man simply glanced at them while waving his handa t them cheerfully. "Oh, it's nothing serious. I just noticed that Anko is not attending the wedding. I was just wondering about her recently" he said to them.

"Well, I think she has to take care of her daughter. For some reason, Anko can't stand hiring a babysitter to look after Bunko" Kurenai said while taking her glance at her young son. The crimson-eyed woman smiled at your young son, before carrying him with her arms. Little Ayumu seemed to like it. "It's too bad she isn't here. Ayumu would've been happy to see one from the kindergarten" she then added.

While hearing this, Kakashi could not help but to think about Anko. The masked man had yet to reveal his little secret with the kunoichi to all his friends. However, Kakashi felt like keeping this secret between him and Anko. Only Tsunade and his students were aware of the secret between him and Anko.

"Are you alright, Kakashi?" the masked man was interrupted in his thoughts by Yamato, who seemed to find Kakashi's behavior odd. The white-haired man fixed his gaze on Yamato, who only glanced at him with a supportive expression on his face. Kakashi simply waved at him in a friendly manner.

"I'm alright. I just wanted to know whether Anko was doing okay. You know how she sometimes misses out on social events like this" Kakashi then told both him and Kurenai. The masked man then took a look at his glass and saw that it was empty. It surprised him for a minute. "Whoops, it seems to me that my glass is empty. I'll go and find a new one" he then said before taking off without saying anything further.

Kurenai had to raise an eyebrow as she saw Kakashi leave. "Hold on. Since when did Kakashi drink that champagne?" the black-haired woman asked while feeling slightly confused.

Yamato had to chuckle as he heard this. "My guess would be, that he was among the first of us jounins to get himself a glass of champagne. When he come over to us, he had already drunk it up" the man with brown-hair then told her.

Kurenai rolled her crimson eyes before putting her son down. "You don't say" she noted.

Shino and Umeko were still talking with Naruto and Sakura, and they were having a good time. Tsunade and Shizune had gone off to pick up some champagne, thus leaving Naruto relieved. He was getting tired of hearing the Hokage tease him as usual, even though Sakura took pleasure in seeing it. However, the mood changed when the two couples were approached by Kiba and Hinata. They became even astounded by the fact that they were holding hands.

"Hey there, fellas. What up?" Kiba asked them in his usual smug manner, although he got no response from them. "Hey! What's with the slow responses?" he then told them.

Naruto felt like the need to ask. "Well, it's just that….I don't know" the blonde-haired man spoke up, his thoughts having so many signs of confusion in them.

Sakura felt the need to talk to Hinata, and she smiled at the bright-eyed kunoichi. "Hinata…...are you and Kiba in a relationship?" she asked her gently although she could see the blushing cheeks on the bluenette.

Yet despite this, Hinata nodded her head slowly in return. "Y-yes. We have only begun seeing each other. Nothing more" she answered, trying not to sound so awkward in front of everyone.

"Hinata felt like she needed someone to hang out with, and I pretty much became that someone" Kiba spoke up, trying to support Hinata's clam. The young man with the faded goatee then held an arm around her, which caused the Hyuuga heiress to snap in surprise. But she eventually found calm within herself. "Nevertheless, we had pretty much fun hanging out. And that leaves us in a relationship" the brown-haired man told his friends, feeling his confidence beam inside of him.

Naruto only raised an eyebrow at Kiba in return. "That sounds kind of unrealistic to me. I bet something else happened" Naruto said, causing Hinata to snap. She wondered whether he actually knew about what had happened between her and Kiba recently, including the episode at the Hyuuga mansion. The bluenette almost gave into faintness, only for Kiba to step up before her.

The brown-haired man gritted his feral teeth at Naruto. "I just told you what happened between us, broham. Nothing else have happened between us" Kiba told him.

"What did you just call me?" Naruto asked him, not taking kindly to what Kiba just said.

Kiba grinned cockily in return by seeing his reaction. "You heard me, smartass. I never once meddled in your dating with Sakura, did I?" he then pointed out to him.

Sakura stood before Naruto while glancing at the young ruffian with a dispassionate glance. "You know an attitude such as this will cost you, Kiba. It pays to be polite and friendly" the pinkette reminded him sternly.

Despite seeing this, Kiba merely scoffed at her words and rested his arms around Hinata once again. "Look, I honestly could care less what you and that loudmouth has to say. But like it or not, Hinata and I are in a relationship" he told them, while Hinata tried her best to hide her embarrassment over this episode. For some reason, the young bluenette knew that both Naruto and Sakura knew what she and Kiba had done in the Hyuuga mansion. She also knew that Shino had gained knowledge of that as well through his father, as well as their teacher.

Hoping to avoid future commotions in this celebration, Hinata glanced at both Shino and Umeko with a gentle smile, intending on doing what she came to the for. "I must congratulate you and Umeko for this marriage you have made together. And thank you for inviting both me and my family to the wedding. On behalf of the entire Hyuuga clan, I give you my solemn blessings to this union" the bluenette congratulated them while giving them here blessings.

While Umeko simply nodded her head in appreciation, Shino had to smile as he saw her usual timid teammate having the courage to congratulate them. "We both appreciate your blessings, Hinata. I am proud to have been teammates with a spectacular kunoichi like you" he then told her, causing Hinata to nod her head in appreciation of his gratitude. Shino then turned his attention to Kiba, surprisingly smiling at the one he would usually butt heads with during their missions. "I also thank you for attending my wedding, Kiba. It really means a lot to me, even if you don't see it" the dark brown-haired man told him.

Hearing this caused Kiba to raise an eyebrow in return, and he didn't know how to respond to Shino, who was surprisingly acting nice to him. However, Kiba eventually smiled while nodding his head towards the man with the sunglasses. "No biggie. I couldn't miss the day of my brainy teammate's wedding, could I?" the young Inuzuka then told him with a hint of humor in his voice.

Umeko was slightly astounded by the way Kiba was talking to her husband. "Is he always like this, dear?" she then asked Shino, who had so far not said anything to Kiba in return.

Shino glanced at his wife. "Not always. He knows when to take things seriously" he insisted to her before turning his glance on Kiba and Hinata. "And by the way you two. I am happy for you having this kind of relationship. Truth be told, Hinata, I always saw Kiba as the good man for you…..after Naruto that is" he then told them while saying this to Hinata specifically.

Hinata's cheeks blushed with redness as she heard those words come out of Shino. "Shino…...don't say such things!" she snapped slightly in embarrassment.

Both Naruto and Sakura were not sure of what to make of this scene. However, Naruto smiled at Sakura, who then did so at him in return. They then decided to go somewhere else, feeling that Shino deserved to have some time alone with his comrades. As they walked, Naruto could not help but to look over his shoulder and see Kiba and Hinata standing there as a couple. As unusual as it was for him, Naruto smiled by seeing them holding hands.

"Hinata…you've really find your own strength to seek what you want. I like that" Naruto noted in his head while thinking about the fact that they were actually childhood friends. "I know that you always looked to me for inspiration, as like you, I was also considered a failure. But I managed to change that, and so did you. For that, we will always be good friends. Always" the blonde-haired man added to his thoughts.

While the park was crawling with so many guests, Lee and Tenten were standing in a reclusive place in the park, where they were now having a one-on-one talk. Both lovers and friends knew what had happened yesterday. So many thoughts were left in the wake of their argument in the hospital. But now, they were both seeing each other since yesterday, each of them wanting to be honest with their feelings for each other. Surprisinlgy, it was Lee who spoke up first.

"Tenten….is that kimono new?" Lee asked her and the young brunette simply nodded her head as a yes to his question. This made Lee raise up his thumb at her. "Gosh, it looks good on you. And that hairstyle as well….wow" the black-haired man said, his voice showing his honesty.

Tenten could not help but to smile at him. "Thank you, Lee. I knew you would like it. And yes, it is new" she answered her while facing the ground with a hint of shame in her eyes. She sighed deeply before speaking up. "Look Lee. About yesterday, I'm really sorry for the way I acted towards you. My frustrations got hold on me and I couldn't control my mind" she said, her eyes even starting to reveal some tears.

Lee immediately held on Tenten's shoulder and it slightly surprised the young brunette. Lee gave her a sympathetic look. "I know that, Tenten. You weren't yourself that day. Especially since I….." this made the black-haired man sigh deeply and he faced Tenten with a slight frown. "Truth be told, I think I also owe you and apology, Tenten. About the accident. I was too careless and stubborn to even heed your warnings and that caused me a serious injury" he then told her.

This quickly reminded Tenten that Kiba was still recovering from his injuries. "Oh God, the injury!" she said while glancing at Lee worryingly. "Are you still feeling well, Lee?" she then asked him seriously.

Lee only nodded weakly in return. "It may sting a little, but I'm fine. Sakura advised me to relax for the next days and wait until the cut had healed. That's what she and the other nurses recommended me" the young man told her. He then held her arms. "But don't stress about it, Tenten. I know I screwed up, so I need to take responsibilities for my actions" Lee then told her.

Tenten was astounded to hear what just came out of Lee's mouth. Did he just say that he had to take responsibilities for his own actions? Usually it would've been Tenten who had said those words to him. But this time, it was Lee who said it himself.

"I really love you, Tenten. And I know that I've let myself get carried away in this relationship. But that's only who I am. I will always be the one and only Rock Lee" the man with the thick eyebrows insisted to her. "But I've thought about what you said in that ultimatum of yours…" he then said.

"Lee, about the ultimatum, forget about it" Tenten told him while trying to hold back her tears when thinking about all those harsh words she had said to him back in the hospital. "I was too stressed out and didn't understand how to deal with this, so please….." Tenten was stunned as she felt Lee put a finger on her lips. This made her stop.

Lee glanced at her with a smile. "I agree with you, those words were hard to hear from you. But at the same time….I needed to hear them from you" he then revealed to his girlfriend, who was stunned to hear this from him. Lee nodded his head. "Yes. I can't always expect everything to be so positive and simple. Things have changed, Tenten. I'm no longer the same naïve boy who dreamt big. I'm an adult. Therefore, I will need to face such things" he then said.

Tenten's head was filled with so many thoughts. She did not know how to respond to this. But there was something she had hoped they could do together. The young brunette felt the need to rebuild this relationship.

"Lee…..I was wondering on…whether we could…" Tenten began uttering out those words while mustering the strength to speak up.

While confused at first, Lee eventually knew what his girlfriend was getting to. He began hugging the young woman, who was caught in surprise by this hug. Even so, Tenten returned the hug and embraced her boyfriend. In fact, they even took this to a next level with a passionate kiss. Lee was surprised as Tenten's lips caught his. Even though he was not prepared for this, Lee happily returned the kiss. The couple soon ended it and glanced at each other with smiles.

"I love you, Tenten" Lee spoke up lowly.

Tenten felt herself completely enamored in Lee. "I love you too, Lee" the brunette told him.

"Now as for those words you were saying. I'm more than happy to go out on a date with you" Lee then told her, thus making Tenten gasp with joy and happiness.

This time, it was Tenten who began hugging Lee so tight and she never let go of him. "Oh Lee, you have no idea how much I want to do this with you" she then said to him, much to Lee's own amusement.

"I know you do. And also want to go out with you. So let us stop going out together as kids and start going out as adults" Lee then suggested to her before letting go of the hug.

Tenten nodded her head as a yes, and she rewarded Lee with a quick kiss. "Of course, we shall. Let us select a day and then decide on what to do" she told him before fixing a cunning smirk on her mouth. "But let's not forget, this is Shino's day. So what do you say you and me go over and congratulate him?" she then suggested to him.

Lee had to chuckle by what he was hearing, and he held his arm around Tenten. "Absolutely, beautiful" he said and the two friends and lovers began heading towards the open space in the park, where people were still having a good time in this Aburame Clan Wedding.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Authors' note: A great chapter completed. It told us about the wedding between Shino and Umeko. And just to be clear, Umeko is an OC of mine. She's also of the Aburame clan. But believe me, some weddings, like that of Naruto and Sakura will have more detail. Other than the wedding, we also saw Sasuke informing of this mysterious messenger, who turned out to be the Crimson Dragon. During the wedding, we saw how many of the characters were interacting with one another. I won't spoil for you what the next chapter will be, but it will perhaps be focused on Sasuke. Then again, this story is fun to write on.**


	9. A Dark Proclamation

**Author's note: This chapter will tell us about something really surprising taking place at the Aburame Clan Wedding. Prepare for a twist. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 9: A Dark Proclamation**

 _Outside the Aburame clan compound, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

So far, the Aburame Clan Wedding was going perfectly. Many guests had attended to witness the marriage between Shino and Umeko Aburame. It was a proud day for the Aburame clan, as the future clan head was finally getting himself a spouse. The ceremony was going well. After that, there was a huge celebration, where the many guests were socializing in the Aburame clan's personal park. The ceremony had taken place there as well.

Many of the attending guests were wearing fine clothes, especially the ladies, who wore fabulous kimonos and other types of hairstyles. The socializing also made it possible for the guests to come into better contact with one another. Even now, various clan heads from the other clans of the Leaf Village were attending, as were other top politicians of the Leaf. Even the Fifth Hokage and the Leaf Council had been invited.

The wedding was probably the happiest day for the newlywed couple. Both Shino and Umeko were now standing by looking at the many gifts they had received from the guests. They were accompanied by Shibi Aburame, as well as Tatsuma, Muta and Yoji Aburame. Also joining them were Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga and Kurenai Yuhi, as well as her son Ayumu.

Kiba whistled in amazement. "Wow. You sure got a lot of presents there, Shino" the brown-haired man noted while studying some of the packages. He noticed one of them to be very similar. "Oh, that one's from us. I can tell it by looking at the way it as packed in. It's definitely Hana's work" he added while glancing at the package with grey paper and red strings.

Shino had to chuckle as he heard this. "Is that so? Well I can't help but to wonder what the Inuzuka clan has given to us as present" he remarked while glancing at Kiba.

"I am confident that it will be something of value, dear. The friendship between us and the Inuzuka clan is strong after all" Umeko told her husband while leaning onto him. Shino responded by cuddling her.

Shino adjusted his sunglasses while glancing at both Hinata and Kiba. "I am glad that your parents managed to sort things out for the sake of the Leaf Village. The last thing we would've needed here was a skirmish between friends and allies" the head of the Aburame clan noted to them with gratitude in his voice.

Hinata blushed in embarrassment while Kiba only snapped in anger as he heard that. But the ruffian had to control his impulses, as he was after all attending a wedding.

"Ummm..….yeah. But everything is fine now" Hinata responded with a hint of awkward in her voice. "But anyway, when are you going to open the presents?" the bluenette then asked the newlywed couple.

Kurenai had to laugh as she saw how Hinata was feelings so optimistic. She put a hand on her shoulder and faced her reassuringly. "No need to feel stressed her, Hinata. Shino and Umeko will open their presents after this wedding ends. It still isn't over yet" the crimson eyed woman told her before glancing over at Shino. "Will there be a wedding cake and some coffee later?" she then asked him.

Shino and Umeko both nodded their heads in return while smiling. "Of course. How else could we not celebrate this day?" Shino told her while holding an arm around Umeko. "In fact, why don't you and Ayumu head over to the table? I will call upon the other guests to be there soon" he then suggested to her.

Kurenai smiled smugly as she heard this and she carried little Ayumu up in the air. "Sounds like a good idea, Shino. I'll head over there. If anyone needs me, I'm at the table" she crimson-eyed lady said to the couple before walking away.

Kiba and Hinata remained with the Aburames, with both of them unsure of what to do now. However, Hinata felt like they should be also head to the table. So she gently took Kiba's hand, making the young Inuzuka surprised by her gentle touch. Hinata smiled sweetly at him.

"Maybe we should also head to the table. I bet the wedding cake must be delicious" she told the brown-haired man. "Would you mind accompanying me to the table?" she then asked him.

At first, Kiba was confused about Hinata's behavior, yet seeing her smile and feeling her gentle hold made Kiba agree to her request with a smug grin. "Sure! Anything for a fine-lookin' woman such as you, Hinata" he said and took his glance at Shino and Umeko. "We're just heading for the table. Are you coming?" he asked them.

"Yes, but we would like to have a private discussion with my father and our fellow members of the Aburame clan. But we will be seeing you two soon" Shino replied back, his voice filled with gentleness.

Kiba had to admit that he was surprised to hear this kind of tone in Shino's voice. He had never heard it before. Even so, he and Hinata left the bunch on their own and headed for the table, with the two holding hands.

As he watched them walk away, Shino had to admit that he was feeling proud on their behalf. In fact, he was proud that Kiba had stepped in and became an inspiration for their shy teammate. But like Kiba, Shino knew Hinata had also changed over the years, as she was no longer the same girl as she was before.

"Are you okay, my love?" Shino was interrupted by the gentle voice of his wife. He smiled at her in return before landing a kiss on her forehead.

"I am, Umeko. So far, this day has been splendid for the two of us" the brown-haired man told her before facing his father and the clansmen of the Aburame clan. His expression changed into that of seriousness, which contrasted greatly to that of himself smiling. "What is it you wanted to talk about, father?" Shino asked Shibi.

Shibi adjusted his sunglasses before glancing at his son and daughter-in-law. "It is wise of us to have hired security from the ANBU Black Ops. However, I feel like that is not enough to protect this wedding from any potential threats" the middle-aged man told them.

Umeko had to admit that she felt slightly worried as she heard that. But being at her husband's side eased her fears. "What do you mean by that?" she asked him, not getting what Shibi was trying to say.

This time, Tatsuma stepped forward, his face forming a frown which he was usually known to have. "What Lord Shibi means is that there may be infiltrators near the Aburame compound even as we speak" he revealed before moving his right sleeve and showing the newlywed couple some small bugs creeping on his right arm. "We have managed to spread some bugs around the Leaf Village. And they detect some hidden movements not far from our location" he added.

"But aren't the ANBUs doing anything to take notice of such?" Muta asked Tatsuma while glancing at him sternly. "I thought you would supervise them better, considering that you're in the Shadow Squad" he then spoke up.

"I have done my fair share of supervising, Muta! If you're so enthusatic, why don't you do anything to contribute!?" Tatsuma snapped back at him.

Yoji suddenly intervened between them. The tall member of the Aburame clan managed to separate his bickering clanmates from one another. Being among the taller and stoic members, Yoji was known to be wise and understanding.

"Stop this, both of you! We don't have time to bicker amongst ourselves" Yoji sternly told them before facing Shibi. "Lord Shibi, do you think we should call off the celebration. Or at least move it to another location?" he then asked the clan head, trying to be respectful towards not just him, but to the newlywed couple as well.

Shibi took his time to think, but he also glanced over to his son and daughter-in-law. "Shino, this is you and Umeko's day. Therefore, I want both of you to make the decisions here. What you decide, we will follow" the middle-aged man told his son.

The couple was astounded to hear Shibi's words at first, yet Shino eventually understood the reason why his father was leaving this matter to him. He was right. This was his and Umeko's day. Therefore, they would have the final say with things such as this. The blonde-haired woman looked up to her husband and wondered what he was thinking about. This was an indication that she wanted him to give their answer. Shino looked back at her and simply nodded at her with a slight smile.

Shino faced his father and clanmates. "I understand how serious this is, but I won't let it ruin our day. We will stay here and be ready to confront whenever it comes here" Shino told them all, his voice both firm and mature. "And let us not forget that we are more than enough to handle these uninvited guests. I will personally be the one to charge head on" he then told them.

Despite hearing this, Shibi had to smile when he heard the determination coming from his son. Even Umeko was smiling as she saw how brave her husband was in face of this danger.

"Heh, you really seem to have grown….." Shibi was interrupted by the voice of Tatsuma, who was pointing to somewhere.

"LORD SHIBI, LORD SHINO, THE PONDS, THEY'RE EXPLODING!" the young Aburame clansmen called out to them while saying it loud.

Yes, the beautiful ponds that could be found in the park was exploding. The water in those began shooting up in the air like pillars. The many guests were completely taken this by surprise. While some of them thought it was a magic trick, most guests knew that this was without a doubt the work of a shinobi. Furthermore, as the pillars began aiming at the guests, they quickly moved away from being near the ponds and headed over to the long tables.

Shino and the Aburames stood before the long tables, alongside Naruto, Yamato, Lee, Kiba, Tsunade, Kakashi and all other shinobis who were willing to protect the guests against this unexpected attack. The kunoichis like Sakura, Ino, Hinata and Tenten would stay with the guests to make sure they were safe.

"What in the world?" Hiashi Hyuuga asked before tunring his angry gaze upon Shibi and the Aburames. "Is this your doing, Aburame!?" he then angrily asked his fellow clan head. He along with Ko, Hoheto, Tokuma and Iroha Hyuuga were standing their ground. The clan head was feeling stressed at the moment. "If whoever's behind this are after my daughters, I hold you responsible!" he then snapped at Shibi, who was so far, not paying attention to him.

"Calm yourself, Hiashi Hyuuga! None of us is at fault here!" the voice came from Chouza Akimichi, as he along with Chouji and some of their fellow Akimichis. The red-haired man faced his son. "You know the drill, Chouji. Don't anyone near the guests, especially little Ayumu" he then said to him.

Chouji nodded his head in reply, as he knew why his father was mentioning Ayumu. The little boy was after all, his late sensei Asuma's son. "I'm standing my ground, dad! No one gets past me!" he replied before turning his attention to Shikamaru, who stood beside him ready for whatever trickery this was. "Don't tell me this is one of your usual tricks, Shikamaru" he then said to his friend.

"Trust me, Chouji. This isn't anything the Nara clan is known to do. We aren't wedding-crashers" Shikamaru insisted to him before glancing up at the water pillars. "Whoever's pulling this stunt sure have balls doing it at a wedding" he then noted to himself while making sure those around him got that as well.

Tsunade could not help but to grit her teeth in slight anger. "Damn. How did they know about the wedding? And just when everything was going peacefully" the blonde-haired woman remarked while grunting. She was ready to attack whoever was cowardly enough to interrupt something as wonderful as a wedding. She glanced over to Kakashi. "Is Sakura and the others with the guests?" she asked him, to which Kakashi nodded his head as a yes.

"Yeah, they are with them. And it's best that they are" Kakashi said while glancing at the watery pillars. "Is this some kind of enemy that possesses enough knowledge to sneak past the security of the Leaf Village, let alone the ANBU Black Ops? If so, then how did they managed to pull this through?" the white-haired man noted while thinking over the fact that someone had sneaked into the Leaf Village.

"Obviously some of them must have passed through the security he had around the village with the help of something" Yamato noted before taking his glance upon the pillars of water from the ponds. "And judging from what we're seeing here, they must have used the ponds to their advantage. I think this must be the work of someone capable of water-based jutsus" the brown-haired man remarked.

Naruto clenched his fists while seeing this commotion. "Whoever's doing this, he's gonna pay!" he said to those around him. It appeared that Naruto had figured it out who it was that was doing this and his friends and allies could see that. The blonde-haired man gritted his teeth in anger. "Come out here, Crimson Dragon! You can't hide forever!" he then called out loudly to those three pillars.

Surprisingly, the pillars stopped moving and three people could be seen emerging out from those watery pillars. They each landed before the line of defense against them. What they all shared in common was the fact that they wore the same black-hooded coats. But one of them was significantly taller than his two cohorts. The water returned to normal yet the three hooded individuals stood up and faced those standing before them. It was as Naruto suspected, the one standing in the middle was no one but the Crimson Dragon himself.

"Greetings, citizens of the Leaf. I am humbled to have come here and see you up close" the Crimson Dragon said while fixing his gaze upon Shino and his Aburames. "And I personally congratulate you for hosting this wedding, Aburames. Allow me to express my blessings to your arrangement. There is no terrific thing such as a wedding" he then said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

The Aburames remained stern, including Shino. But the brown-haired man simply showed them his bugs as they crept on his skin. "You have some nerve coming here and scaring our guests, let alone speak of how a wedding functions, given that you are here uninvited. If any of you had any sense, you would know better than to disrupt a celebration hosted by the Aburame clan" Shino told the trio sternly.

"You Aburames never scare me. And frankly, it is not you I wish to speak with" the hooded man said before turning his attention to Tsunade, as well as Naruto. "Ah, you must be the infamous Lady Tsunade. I have heard so much about you. Among the Saanins, you intrigue me more than the pervert and the pedophile you consider your comrades" he then said.

Tsunade was fuming with outrage over hearing the tone in his voice. But she was more so over the fact that he was mentioning the names of her two comrades. "First off, don't you dare mention Jiraiya or Orochimaru in front of me! If you want to impress me, then at least have the courtesy to tell us why you are disrupting something as important as a wedding" the blonde-haired woman told her before composing herself. "Didn't your parents ever tell you about how rude it was to disrupt an arrangement you were never invited to?" she then asked while crossing her arms in great dispassion.

"My parents? They're already dead" the hooded man revealed, eventually showing them his red eyes. It stunned the group of shinobis before him, as they were not just any ordinary eyes. They were the Sharingan. "I only had my mom to raise me, until she was killed by the Uchiha clan in this damn village!" he then said.

"His eyes…he really is an Uchiha" Kakashi noted in awe from what he was seeing. The white-haired man glanced warily at the Crimson Dragon. "Who are you? And how come you possess the Sharingan? Are you a someone who has come to possess them by experimentation, like the one with Danzo Shimura?" Kakashi then asked him, wanting to know whether he was in fact a real Uchiha.

The stranger took notice of Kakashi. "Ah, Kakashi Hatake, the infamous copycat. I hear that you now possess both Sharingans of Obito Uchiha. So touchy to hear. To think that your best friend was one of the greatest masterminds of evil" he then said.

Hearing this caused Kakashi to snap back into the past. He began to reminisce about his day as a genin, as well as being teammates with both Obito and Rin Nohara. Kakashi was also reminded about how Obito had supposedly died in the cave. But then came when Obito was seeking the downfall of this world, as well as trying to atone himself from the crimes he had committed to follow eliminate the world.

Kakashi's eyes began to narrow as he snapped back into the present. "Back off, punk" he said while clenching his hands firmly. "I may not know who you really are, but you sure as hell were never there when Obito died. So I suggest you shut your mouth, brat" he then warned the Crimson Dragon sternly.

"Is that supposed to scare me? Even for a fake Uchiha, your threats are nothing but hollow to me. And you suggest that I am in the same league as Danzo Shimura? You ignorant jounin! Only you fit into that category, given that none of your parents were Uchihas" the hooded man said while fixing his eyes upon Naruto, who was glancing at him seriously. "Naruto Uzumaki: the Orange Flash. This is the first time that I have seen you up-close" he admitted to himself in amusement.

Naruto had to scoff by what he was hearing. "Heh, I'm flattered by the fact that someone so cowardly as you even know of my reputation" he noted before forming a deep frown at the stranger. "However, I've no reason to accept you as a fan. You crossed the line when you interrupted a celebration, let alone shot an arrow on my balcony!" the blonde-haired man pointed out to him.

The Crimson Dragon only scoffed. "That arrow wasn't for you, it was for that brooding teammate you value so much" he pointed out, even though he had secretly enraged Naruto. "Speaking of which, I don't see him around here. Do you mind telling me where Sasuke Uchiha is, spawn of the nine-tailed fox?" he then asked.

Hearing this caused Naruto's anger to boil inside of him and he was about to angrily charge towards the crimson dragon to punch him. But something inside of him told him to restrain his anger. In fact, he could even hear the fox inside of him urging him not to rush into such attacks.

"What are we even standing here for?" one of the Crimson Dragon's accomplices asked while suddenly drawing out his weapon. This weapon astounded some of the shinobis before him, as it was a trident-like sword that was sparkling with lightning. "We didn't come here just to hear you trash-talking those bunch of lame-asses" he added to his dissatisfaction.

"Patience, Azure Dragon" the tallest of the Crimson Dragon's accomplishes said while crossing his arms. "We will know when our time has come" he added.

This caused the Crimson Dragon to point his fingers at each of these hooded men standing with him. "Oh, and let me introduce to you my comrades. This is the Azure Dragon, while this is the Ebon Dragon" the mysterious figure introduced them to his comrades. But he then turned his gaze upon Naruto once again. "But enough fooling around. I didn't come here just to see a bunch of bugs mating to their deaths. I have some words for ya, but I see that someone's missing. Now tell me again, Jinchuuriki. Where is Sasuke?" he demanded to know once again.

But the Crimson Dragon was interrupted when he could see Kiba step forward and throw a kunai at him. But the stranger simply grabbed it with ease before throwing it away. He then focused his attention on the brown-haired ruffian.

"Nice throw, but it needs work" the hooded man said, in an effort to taunt Kiba.

Kiba gritted his teeth in anger, only to be restrained by his fellow Inuzukas. "Idiot! What are you doing!?" Goro asked him while holding his future brother-in-law.

"Yeah, keep your temper leashed, Kiba!" Akira agreed while also holding onto him.

But Kiba shrugged them off and pushed each of them away from him. "Get your filthy hands off me! I don't need babysitting!" he told them before returning his angry glance at the Crimson Dragon. "Why bother coming to this wedding if you're just looking for Sasuke!? He isn't invited to it!" Kiba barked while Akamaru stood beside him. "And for the record, neither are you and your buddies! So beat it!" he then snapped.

The crimson-eyed man had to chuckle as he saw what was going on. He then motioned head towards the Ebon Dragon standing behind him. "Teach this punk a lesson in humility" he said.

Before everyone knew it, the Ebon Dragon rushed towards Kiba in a fast speed. His speed astounded even those like Lee. Kiba was in for a surprise, as he felt himself getting an uppercut, this flying. The Leaf ninjas around him were astounded by this. The Ebon Dragon then proceeded to kick Akamaru away.

"KIBA! AKAMARU!" Shino yelled when he saw his comrades being swapped aside like mere flies. He fixed his gaze upon the Ebon Dragon while gritting his teeth. "You ruthless bastard! You will pay for this!" Shino yelled before he launched bugs out of his sleeves. The other Aburames did that as well, and swarms of insects were headed towards the tall individual. But the bugs were also targeting his cohorts as well.

The Ebon Dragon stood before his comrades and simply shrugged his shoulders while seeing the incoming bugs. He even let out a deep chuckle as he saw this. "I am confronted by mere bugs? Hah! Such a deluded clan! I will dispose of them with my own bug zapper!" he exclaimed before doing some handseals quickly. "Lighting Style: Lightning Wall Jutsu!" he bellowed and suddenly created a wall of lightning bolts with his hands.

As the swarms of bugs headed straight towards the trio, they were all zapped as they flew straight into the wall of lightning. The Aburames only got frustrated while the Ebon Dragon simply laughed deeply while seeing the bugs getting fried to crisps.

"Damn it! That wall of his keeps zapping our bugs!" Shibi said while gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Then your bugs are of no use to electricity" Hiashi said as he had just activated his Byakugan, as had the other Hyuugas fighting alongside him.

"Agreed!" Kakashi said while he had activated his Sharingan. "This calls for a wind-based jutsu. Naruto?" he asked his student, who seemed to have figured something in his mind.

Naruto had already called on two shadow clones to help him with this problem. "I'M ON IT! NOW STAND BACK! THIS IS GONNA BE ONE HELL OF AN EXPLOSION!" he said it loudly, working on his famous wind-based jutsu he had invented himself. "WIND STYLE: RASENSHURIKEN!" he bellowed before throwing the shuriken-formed Rasengan straight towards the wall of lightning. As expected, it managed to blow away the wall, but it did cause an explosion in it's wake.

The explosion was loud and it blew off the roof that had been set up for the longtable. All the guests were very frightened at the moment, as they thought this was a bomb headed towards them. But the explosion did not last, as it only left a wall of smoke afterwards.

The shinobis of the Leaf lined up, watching carefully as the smoke began clearing. However, they were shocked to see the trio still standing there, even more so as the smoke vanished. What even stunned them more was the fact that none of them seemed to have been injured by this explosion.

"No…it can't be…." Tsunade noted grimly by what she was seeing. "How could they have survived something as powerful as the Rasenshuriken!?" the blonde-haired woman added to her disbelief.

"Tch, tough bastards" Naruto uttered under his breath by what he was seeing. He could see the Crimson Dragon step forward, with the attention of giving Naruto some well-deserved applause. Despite this, Naruto continued to frown at him deeply, signifying his distaste of the stranger's actions.

"Quite a jutsu you pulled there, esteemed Jinchuuriki. I knew that someone like you could manage to destabilize the wall of lightning" the Crimson Dragon said while giving Naruto some praise. "But no matter, I still know your every move" he then told him.

Naruto simply narrowed his blue eyes as he heard those words. "As if that has any relevance to our fight. The only thing that matters is that me and my friends stop you before you hurt so many innocents" the blonde-haired clarified his opponent.

The Crimson Dragon's Sharingan began narrowing with displeasure as he heard those words. "Friends? You gotta be kidding me. You expect to best us with these misfits!?" he asked him before he and his cohorts began bursting out into laughter. The line of shinobis was slightly angered by seeing this kind of ridicule, yet they kept their cool. "We will deal with you easily, you and that pathetic Hokage of yours" he said.

"Don't forget about me!" the stern voice came from Sakura, as she was standing beside Naruto and Tsunade. The pink-haired was standing there cracking her knuckles, despite the fact she was dressed in her kimono. "You three will pay for those crimes you have committed against those innocent people! Since you are now here, it's only apparent that we will apprehend you" Sakura added while glancing over to Tsunade, who mused over seeing how determined her apprentice was.

But Sakura was not the only kunoichi to come out. Even now, Hinata, Hanabi, Ino, Tenten, Temari and even Umeko had showed to help the line in holding those three terrorists away from the guests. They showed up to fight despite being dressed in those kimonos.

Shikamaru and Chouji were astounded by seeing their teammate standing there. "Are you serious about this, Ino? You said that kimono was expensive" Chouji called out to the blondie, who simply shrugged her shoulders while stroking her ponytail.

"I wouldn't mind getting dirty here. Especially since someone as disrespectful as them have the balls to ruin a celebration! That, I cannot allow to slip away" Ino told them while forming her confidential grin with her mouth.

Her teammates were only stunned as they could see how determined Ino was. Shikamaru then focused his attention on Temari, who was just standing beside him. "Are you also here because of what Ino said?" the man with the ponytail asked her.

Temari only smirked while she glanced at her boyfriend in a teasing manner. "Of course. Are you suggesting that I'm uncaring towards others?" she asked him, which forced Shikamaru to facepalm in return. Temari simply decided not to pay heed to this and focused her attention on the three hooded men. "Someone's crashing a wedding here. It's only natural that we all respond by giving them a dose of ass-kicking!" she then told him, causing Shikamaru to drop a sweat.

"I really don't get her sometimes" Shikamaru admitted to his thoughts. But he eventually formed a smug smile at his girlfriend. "But what the hell, she's a damn good woman" he then noted, liking Temari's outspoken attitude.

Hinata and Hanabi had joined up with their father and clanmates of the Hyuuga clan, yet Hiashi seemed not pleased to see them standing there. "My daughters, I told you to stay with the guests" he reminded them sternly, yet he could see the defiance existing in the faces of his daughters. Sighing deeply, the middle-aged man knew that he could not deny their spirit. "Very well, then let us fight him together" he said, much to the satisfaction of his daughters.

Hanabi nodded her head formally towards her father. "I promise you, we won't let you down" the teenager said, insisting that neither she nor Hinata would disappoint him nor be a burden in this fight.

But Hinata's attention was focused at Kiba, who was now standing with his fellow Inuzukas on his knee. She quickly rushed over to him, given that he could see that he was bleeding and having some bruises. The young bluenette sat beside him, feeling very concerned about his condition.

"Kiba…you're bleeding…." Hinata said while being stunned at her teammate's current condition. She looked up to see Hana and Tsume standing there. "What happened to him? And where's Akamaru?" she then questioned them.

Tsume narrowed her eyes at her son. "That reckless boy charged towards the enemy, only to be beaten so easily. As for Akamaru, he's doing okay. But I asked Gaku to take him somewhere safe" the brown-haired woman answered, her eyes still focused on Kiba.

Kiba was panting deeply and Hinata could see that he was trying to resist this pain. But the bluenette put a hand on his left shoulder, hoping it would help him to find rests within himself.

"Kiba….you need to rest…" Hinata spoke lowly.

The brown-haired man was still focused on the three opponents, or more specifically the Ebon Dragon. He was gritting his feral teeth, as if he was growling like a wolf. A feral anger was taking hold of the young Inuzuka. It worried Hinata and his family.

"No way. I'm not giving up" Kiba said lowly before standing up on his feet, which astounded those around him. They were surprised how he could still do that after receiving an uppercut from the enemy. "Those bastards ruined Shino's wedding, spread terror among the guest and worse of all: they put their filthy hands on Akamaru!" the young man added, his voice still filled with rage.

Hana immediately reacted by grabbing his left hand. "Stop being so reckless, Kiba! Akamaru's fine! Just calm down and we can…" Hana was surprised by seeing her younger brother swat her hand away in anger before proceeding to run towards the trio, although he was specifically heading towards the Crimson Dragon. "KIBA! STOP!" Hana shouted.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, DAMN MORON!?" Tsume barked as she saw her son.

But Kiba was not listening to what was being said. His only focus was on the trio of hooded men that had interrupted the wedding. Taking his time, he then aimed his attack towards the Crimson Dragon, performing his famous skill. "THIS IS GONNA HURT, ASSHOLE! EAT THIS! FANG OVER FANG!" Kiba yelled as he spun in the air, creating a whirlwind that headed straight towards the Crimson Dragon.

The hooded man with his crimson eyes had managed to take notice of Kiba's outcry and he simply glanced up at the whirlwind that was headed straight for him. "A mere ruffian dares lecture me about pain!? I will show him pain!" he noted in his head angrily and quickly performed some handseals before gathering Chakra inside him. "YOU SHALL BURN! FIRE STYLE: FLAME HURRICANE!" he yelled and fire erupted out of the Crimson Dragon in a spiraling manner, with it's target being Kiba.

Despite his resilience, Kiba was caught by the flames and sent upwards in the air, much to the shock of his friends and family. Kiba was yelling in agony as the flames began consuming him.

"KIBA!" Hinata yelled while tears where streaming from her eyes.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Kakashi exclaimed fast and performed this near the ponds. A giant serpentine dragon made of water began heading straight towards the flying Kiba, eventually clearing off the flames on his body.

But the young man fell on the ground, having sustained some burn injuries. His friends and family immediately went over to his side. Hinata and Hana could be seen crying. Even Tsume was beginning to have such fears over the condition of his son. They were joined by Inuzukas, Shino and even Tsunade herself.

"Kiba!" Shino yelled while seeing his teammate lying on the grass unconsciousness. He could also notice Kiba's serious burn injuries on his skin. "My God…he's is serious condition!" he said while expressing great concern for Kiba.

"But we can't give up hope now!" Tsume barked and glanced over to Tsunade. "You can help him, yes?" she then asked the Hokage.

Tsunade nodded her head in return while looking at Kiba's injuries. "Yes. But these injuries require immediate treating. It's best that he be brought to the hospital and away from this madness" she said while carrying the young man, with Tsume and Hana helping her. "We best head to the hospital. Will you carry him there?" she asked them and the two nodded without hesitation.

"But where will you be going, Lady Tsunade?" Shino asked the Hokage.

She faced him seriously. "I'll have to warn the entire village not to enter this area. This also means that the guests here must evacuate, as must those who are unable to fight. I also plan on making sure every able-bodied shinobi of the Leaf is headed here this instant. These terrorists must be stopped" she told him in return.

As the three were walking with Kiba, Tsunade motioned her head at Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura, who understood that she was now leaving them in charge of containing this threat. However, the three were also stunned to see Kiba's current condition.

"Okay, Naruto, Sakura. It's now up to us!" Kakashi called out while glancing at his students, who were mostly focused upon the trio of shinobis.

Naruto was gritting his feral teeth in anger as he glared at the Crimson Dragon. "You son of a bitch! How the hell could you have done that to him!?" the blonde-haired man angrily asked while taking some steps towards the trio.

However, the Azure Dragon and the Ebon Dragon suddenly jumped before their supposed leader and blocked Naruto's path. However, Naruto was not the only one who had begun to step forward in confronting those shinobis for real.

"What the…..those monsters have such an incredible amount of speed!" Lee noted while being shocked. He suddenly saw Tenten hold him back, much to his surprise. "Tenten…why are you…." Lee was interrupted by Tenten screaming at her loudly.

"Don't be stupid, Lee! You still an injury you're recovering from! And you think that I would simply let you go after seeing what they did to Kiba!? Stand back with me, please!" she insisted to Lee as tears began to stream from her eyes.

Lee only glanced at his girlfriend as she was feeling this sad once again. Remembering the talk they had been having some hours ago, the black-haired man formed a smile while nodding at her in return. Lee even put a hand on Tenten's right shoulder and it made her stunned.

"Alright, Tenten. I will stay with you. For both our sakes" Lee told her, which forces Tenten to smile slightly, as she was happy to know that her boyfriend had been willing to listen to reason.

Meanwhile, Hinata was now standing up on her feet, heaving been joined by her family, as well as Shino and his Aburames. She has been crying since seeing Kiba's critical condition, yet she was no longer sobbing. The bluentte stood on her feet, facing the grass with her bright eyes. Somehow, her family and Shino could notice something took hold of her. In fact, Hinata lifted her head up, this revealing them her angry and determined eyes. They were mostly fixed upon the Crimson Dragon.

"Hinata…..are you alright?" Shino asked his teammate, but snapped as she suddenly activated her Byakugan.

Even her father and younger sister had been astounded by seeing her behavior right now. "Sister…what are you….." Hanabi was stunned as she could see Hinata run straight towards the Crimson Dragon. "NO STOP THIS!" Hanabi yelled out.

"DAMN IT, HINATA!" Hiashi cursed by what he was seeing. "Rushing towards the enemy for the sake of some Inuzuka-bum!?" he wondered in his thoughts, figuring out his daughter's motivations for doing this.

But the Azure Dragon took notice of Hinata charging towards them and he decided to take the initiative to challenge the bluenette. Grabbing his trident-like sword, the hooded man jumped into the air before landing right before Hinata, thus blocking her path. Hinata merely stood her guard by standing the Gentle Fist Art position. Despite seeing the weapon and how sharp it was, Hinata was not gonna let anyone stand between her and the Crimson Dragon.

"Finally! Some kunoichi action! I've heard that the Leaf Village's kunoichi are some of the best!" the Azure Dragon remarked while brandishing his weapon. "That said, you're part of the Hyuuga clan, which only indicates that you're indeed formidable, yes" he added with a teasing expression.

Hinata was not impressed by what she was hearing, her face still carrying her angry eyes and deep frown. "Stand down, or get smacked down!" she sternly told him, her eyes only becoming stronger by the minute. "That accomplice of yours hurt someone dear to me! And I will get him for this!" she sternly told him.

The Azure Dragon had to chuckle as he heard this and he decided to toy with the young bluenette for a little. "What? You're saying that loudmouthed piece of shit was your boyfriend or something?" he then asked with venom in his voice. Hearing the way he spoke about Kiba made Hinata lose her cool and without hesitating, she began attacking him by delivering her right handpalm at her opponent. However, the Azure Dragon amazingly blocked her attack with his trident-like sword. "Heh, nice try sweetheart. But you ain't strong enough against Narumi" he then said to her, pinpointing to his trident-like weapon.

But Hinata was not yet finished. While clashing with her opponent's trident, she decided to activate a spell with her stance. She smirked. "Then perhaps this will change your mind. Eight Trigrams Air Palm!" Hinata exclaimed and she began firing vacuum from her handpalm. Since this technique was formed to attack the opponent's vitals from a distance, the Azure Dragon was blown off his feet with tremendous force.

But the Azure Dragon held himself by stabbing Narumi to the ground. It was surprising that his hood had not been blown off thanks to the powerful vacuum being blown at him. But the hooded man felt like he was not going to be bested by a woman, so he decided to fight back against Hinata.

Performing some handseals, he was ready to attack the kunoichi with a technique. "Water Style: Giant Water Projectile!" he exclaimed before jumping in the air and firing a giant projectile of water towards the young kunoichi. It was quite big and it heads straight for Hinata, who was shocked by seeing this.

But she was in for a surprise as swarms of bugs headed towards the projectile, eventually being able to disintegrate the water within. The Azure Dragon could see that Hinata had been joined by Shino, Umeko and their fellow Aburames. They were now giving her backup.

Even Hinata herself was surprised by seeing the water projectile explode thanks to the brave efforts of the swarms of bugs. She could see that while many bugs had died in the water, many were still alive. The young Hyuuga smiled as she saw Shino and Umeko standing by her side.

"Thank you so much, Shino and Umeko. I'm thankful that you helped me" Hinata thanked them before facing the ground with a hint of shame on her face. "I let my emotions carry me so easily" she then admitted to them, realizing how foolish it was to go against the Azure Dragon on her own.

"Save your regrets for later, Hinata. Despite your recklessness, I understand why you were angry and wanted to attack them. And if not for us, you along with this place would have been buried in water" Shino told her with a frown. But that frown soon formed into a slight smile as he glanced at the young bluenette. "Listen. I know you care for him, but Kiba will be fine. As stubborn as he is, he always finds a way to survive. You, who have been teammates with him alongside me should know that" the dark brown-haired man told her, reminding them about Kiba.

While stunned to hear this at first, Hinata soon found herself smiling, realizing what a fool she was to doubt Kiba, given that she had known him better than any of their friends.

The Ebon Dragon was dealing with Kakashi, Chouji, Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru trying to fight him on hand to hand combat. But Shikamaru and Kakashi had been standing behind to try figure out his weakness. Right now, the Ebon Dragon was dealing with Chouji using one of his clan's techniques.

"HUMAN BOULDER!" Chouji yelled as he transformed himself into a giant rolling ball. He was headed straight towards the tall man dressed in a black-hooded coat.

Despite seeing this, the Ebon Dragon was not particularly alerted by Chouji's choice of attack. He only chuckled deeply before performing some handseals. "Heh! See if you can roll to this, lard bucket!" he taunted Chouji before raising his fist in the air. "Earth Style: Mudslide Jutsu!" he exclaimed before slamming his fist onto the ground, causing the earth underneath him to rise. A wave of dirt was then headed towards Chouji and despite his fast speed, he was spinning on it endlessly.

But the Ebon Dragon had other opponents to contend with, and he could even spot Sakura charging straight towards him. She was intending on using her powerful strength at him. And above him, he could see Naruto dive towards him with what appeared to be a Rasengan. The tall man was starting to find amusement in this as he watched the two make their moves at him.

"Sakura! You'll take that brute!" Naruto told her while fixing his eyes upon the Crimson Dragon, who was merely standing behind with his arms crossed. "That arrogant asshole over there is mine!" he said, his voice hinting to open dissatisfaction of the Crimson Dragon.

Sakura smirked as she heard what Naruto just said. "Sounds good to me. Just as we planned" the pinkette remarked while heading towards the Ebon Dragon.

"So you and that knucklehead are trying the divide and conquer method? Hah! Using that will only getting yourself killed, bitch!" the Ebon Dragon said, trying to taunt the charging kunoichi with nothing but arrogance in his voice.

As much as it angered her to hear such rude comment, Sakura had to smirk at her opponent. "Hmm, I wouldn't get so cocky with me if I were you, brute. Because you're about to be fooled by this "so-called" bitch" she said while sticking her tongue out at him. In the minute, she vanished in a poof and the Ebon Dragon could see that.

"What the…A SUBSTITUTION!?" he angrily wondered in his head only to notice Naruto headed straight towards him. In his desperation, he called onto his cohort for help. "Azure Dragon! Help me with this!" he barked and his cohort arrived at side soon after.

"Tch, why is it that you need my help against a mere….." the Azure Dragon stopped as he could see that as Naruto was nearing them, he was merely holding a small Rasengan in his hand. "What the hell!?" he cursed out in anger from what he was seeing.

Naruto grinned at them cockily as he showed them his Rasengan. "Heh! Guess you better start adopting a better attitude now, eh? Well, it's too late for you now, suckers!" he taunted them while sticking out his tongue at them before vanishing in a poof, similar to Sakura before him.

"WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THIS!?" the Azure Dragon yelled out loudly before he could notice something. It didn't take long before the Ebon Dragon also realized what they had been played at.

Yamato was preparing a jutsu to catch both him and his partner. The brown-haired man did a few handseals quickly. "Everyone don't get near them! You won't like getting caught up in this!" Yamato called out to the Leaf ninjas who then heeded his warning before he unleashed his jutsu. "Wood Style: Four Pillar Prison Jutsu!" Yamato called out and a wooden prison was formed, thus trapping the two hooded men inside.

"NO! THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!" the Ebon Dragon screamed in anger as he and his cohort were caught up and imprisoned like rats in this giant wooden cage.

Yamato smiled smugly as his comrades joined up with him. "It worked perfectly. I must commend you all for the pulling the stunts, especially you two" the brown-haired man said while glancing at Naruto and Sakura, who did not know what to say in return. But Yamato had his attention on his wooden cage before him. "Anyway, I'll need to concentrate if I'm gonna hold those two trapped inside that cage. In the meantime, you need to deal with this Crimson Dragon. He's all yours now" he then told them.

Naruto nodded his head with a smug grin. "Right. Thank you for doing this, Captain Yamato" he said before he, Sakura, Kakashi and his other friends and allies moved towards the Crimson Dragon in an attempt to confront him.

As he watched them head towards the enemy, Yamato could not help but to muse over the fact that he was still called captain by Naruto, even though that his position in the Leaf Village's military ranks had changed. Nevertheless, he had to admit that he found it amusing, as it reminded him about the relationship Yamato had with Naruto when he was struggling to control the Nine-Tailed fox's power.

"Hmmm….sometimes, change takes longer than one will expect" the brown-haired man remarked from what he was seeing.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Dragon had gotten irritated over seeing his cohorts becoming trapped and fooled so easily. "Do I have to do everything right!?" he wondered angrily in his head and was about to find a way to break the cage, only to notice Naruto and his gang heading towards him. The hooded man realized what he had to do and was ready to face them. "Very well. Come at me then, Leaf Village ninjas!" he taunted them.

But before Naruto and the others could even reach the hooded man, they were surprised as smokescreen suddenly appeared before them. They stopped, wondering whether this was the enemy's doing. However, they eventually started to notice someone flying above them, and it was an eagle drawn out in ink. They knew who was riding the eagle.

"Hey look, guys! It's Sai" Chouji said while pointing his finger in the air.

The pale-skinned man was dressed in his Shadow Squad outfit, yet he wore no mask. As those below him took notice of his appearance, he simply waved at them in a friendly gesture.

"Seriously? Did Sai throw the smokescreen?" Shikamaru asked while glancing up.

"I don't think so" Hinata spoke up as her Byakugan could see through the thick layers of smoke. But now it was starting to vanish. "I see someone standing with the Crimson Dragon, but who?" the bluenette added to her analysis.

As the smoke cleared, Naruto and his gang was surprised to see who was standing there with a sword in his hand. It was Sasuke. Like Sai, he was also dressed in his Shadow Squad uniform. But the scene cleared and they could see that he was now standing there, face to face with the Crimson Dragon. The young raven-haired man had also activated his Sharingan. Even now, they glared at each other with the Uchiha clan's infamous Kekkei Genkai.

"Sasuke…" Sakura spoke up lowly, surprised to see her longtime teammate standing there.

"So, he's finally showed up, huh?" Ino noted lowly while seeing the cold confrontation happening between Sasuke and this mysterious enemy. "I guess he will have a lot of questions about this event later" she then remarked.

Even Naruto was having some thoughts about this. "Whatever you do, Sasuke, please don't take this fight to the extreme" Naruto thought, while secretly pleading to his friend not to make a mess out of this.

So far, silence was all that existed between the two men. However, the Crimson Dragon broke the silence when he spoke up, his eyes never leaving the sight of the raven-haired man standing before him. "Glad you could make it….Sasuke" the hooded man spoke up, speaking as if he knew him personally.

Sasuke narrowed his crimson eyes. "You don't know me, pretender. And you know nothing about me or my family" he then spoke up, his voice hinting to anger.

"Me, a pretender?" the Crimson Dragon asked dispassionately before moving his right hand. "The blood of the Uchiha flows through my veins. It's the one I inherited from my mother" he said before clenching his fist tightly

"Words do not sway me so easily" Sasuke pointed out sternly. "And from the looks of it, you appear to be an evolutionary misstep, one who has undergone the same experimentations as Danzo Shimura" he said.

This time, it was the Crimson Dragon's eyes who started to narrow further. "You dare liken me to that misbegotten man you call a shinobi?! Your judgement lacks basis!" he snapped before pointing a finger at Sasuke. "And who are you to make such an allegation? If I recall correctly, you allowed yourself to be experimented by that demented pedophile: Orochimaru. And to think you would resurrect him after putting him out of his misery! That is why your sense of judgement is lacking, Sasuke!" he then spoke up.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in slight anger by hearing this. "What I did in the past is irrelevant to the likes of you! You know nothing of my story! And as for Orochimaru, that snake was never my master. Even as he was resurrected, he was only a means to an end. I never allowed myself to be manipulated by him. And now that Orochimaru is out of my life, I have desire to keep in touch with him" Sasuke explained it while making sure not to lose his cool. But then again, he was growing weary over being judged.

The Crimson Dragon merely crossed his arms in displeasure as he watched Sasuke tell this to him. "Fair enough. Now as for me, I take it that you don't recognize me. If you feel that way, then I won't be offended. But I want you to at least know this: I've returned from the dead and watched as you did it all. Becoming Orochimaru's guinea pig, slaying your brother Itachi, joining the Akatsuki, becoming an international terrorist, and even playing a key part to end this war. That said, I know all about you, as I've always have" the hooded man told him.

"Quit spewing these bullshit-statements!" Sasuke snapped out in anger and prepared his fighting stance with his sword. "I don't care who you are, but you have no right to mention me, or Itachi! For that I'll kill you!" Sasuke said, eventually activating his Mangekyo Sharingan.

The Crimson Dragon had to muse to himself as he saw what Sasuke had just done. "You finally show your true self! Then it's only obvious that I return the favor by showing you my true self!" he said and something happened with his crimson eyes.

Sasuke snapped as he could see the Crimson Dragon's Sharingan strating to morph into something else. His eyes were now beginning to resemble those of a dragon. While most of the irises were pitch black, the exception was the reptile-like projectile that could be seen in the middle of the eyes. There were also small black holes in the middle of those red projectiles. But there was no doubt without it. The Crimson Dragon had just activated his own Mangekyo Sharingan. Sasuke was stunned.

"No…it can't be!" Sasuke noted lowly, his expression filled with that of anger and outrage. "HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED WHAT ONLY TRUE UCHIHAS CAN ACHIEVE!?" he spat out, demanding an answer from the hooded man.

Once again, the Crimson Dragon was showing signs of anger by hearing how Sasuke still refused to admit that he had found a real Uchiha. But he still held his guard as he could see Sasuke starting to unleash a new power with his Mangekyo Sharingan. Purple flames were now consuming him and it was obvious that Sasuke was now summoning his Susanoo.

Naruto and his group of friends had already pulled back from being near Sasuke, as they knew this was going to get ugly. But not many were happy to see what was beginning to take place.

"Damn it, Sasuke! Is using the Susanoo really necessary!?" Kakashi asked loudly, although Sasuke didn't appear to pay any attention to what was being said.

"That thing will destroy the entire park! He needs to call this off!" Shino sternly said while watching as Sasuke's Susanoo began taking shape. Shino gritted his teeth in frustration. "He will pay for this later!" he said as he noticed how giant Sasuke's Susanoo really was.

"This has gone way out of hand!" Sakura said as she watched Sasuke transform. The pinkette then looked at Naruto and Kakashi. "You saw the Crimson Dragon…he also has Mangekyo Sharingan!" she then stated with fear in her voice.

As Sasuke's imposing Susanoo began taking shape and was complete, he used its wings to fly up in the air, his crimson eyes glaring down upon his opponent. The raven-haired man was refusing to believe that there still existed living Uchihas. He was the last one still breathing.

"Well, at least he flew off" Naruto noted lowly, only to feel a chill when he and his friends could see what was happening to the Crimson Dragon. "What in the hell…." Naruto uttered out lowly as he saw something take shape with him.

Black flames were consuming the Crimson Dragon and it was unlike anything they had seen. There was no questioning it, this was the Crimson Dragon's Susanoo. As his skeletal Susanoo was being formed those witnessing it could notice something different from that of Sasuke's Susanoo. The head was not that of a human. Rather it was that of a dragon. The eyes were glowing brightly and it didn't take long before the shinobis got a good look of what the Susanoo really was. Inside the black Susanoo, the Crimson Dragon was feeling the pleasure of carrying this enormous amount of power.

"YES! THIS IS MY TRUE FORM OF MY SUSANOO! WITNESS THE POWER I WAS GIFTED WITH ON MY QUEST FOR VENGEANCE! I AM THE BLACK DRAGON THAT RISES UP FROM THE DEAD AND BRINGS IT TO THOSE WHO DESERVE IT!" he yelled as he glanced up at Sasuke.

His Susanoo was now complete. It was carrying the body of a human with a black sword, spikey armor and armored shoes. But its head was that of a dragon with horns that towered above it. It's hands and even its wings were that of a dragon and his eyes were shining bright. The giant creature roared in rage as its transformation was complete.

"Fucking hell…" Naruto uttered out lowly, his eyes carrying a hint of fear as he watched the creature roar to demonstrate its rage. "Is this just a nightmare!?" he then angrily asked.

"Such malicious power…" Kakashi noted lowly. "We managed to witness many Susanoos a couple of years ago during the war. But this Susanoo….is unlike anything I've ever seen!" he noted in disbelief.

"Whatever that thing is…IT LOOKS SCARY AS HELL!" Chouji said it loudly while seeing the figure moving it's wings.

The humanoid dragon turned its focus on the wooden cage and eventually Yamato, who snapped in fear when he saw the creature grabbing the wooden cage and cover it in black flames. It was apparent that the Crimson Dragon wanted to take his cohorts with him and so he did.

"NO! THE CAGE!" Yamato yelled as he saw the Susanoo take off and fly up in the sky towards Sasuke in his Susanoo. "THAT FUCKING BASTARD! HE FREED HIS COHORTS!" he then yelled loudly, although he was actually happy over the fact that he had not been targeted by the humanoid dragon.

The Crimson Dragon flew up towards Sasuke. From the looks of it, the raven-haired man had been outraged over what he was just seeing. But at the same time, he was also stunned over seeing this kind of Susanoo. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. He had seen both the Susanoo of his brother Itachi and Madara Uchiha. But this was quite an unusual Susanoo.

The two giant figures were now floating in the air, face to face. Sasuke really wanted to fight the Crimson Dragon, yet somehow, he restrained himself. But he still felt anger and shock slowly starting to take hold on him. And as the black Susanoo began moving it's sword, so did Sasuke's. The two figures now clashed up in the skies.

"Do you believe me now, Sasuke!? This is what I really am! I was brought back to the death in hopes of getting my revenge on those who had put me through hell! That is both the Leaf Village and the Uchiha clan! Your father and mother enabled my death, and abandoned me and my mother when we need you the most!" the Crimson Dragon was speaking loudly so that Sasuke could hear it.

"Who the hell are you!? And why do you speak to me as if I know you!?" Sasuke yelled out in anger, demanding an answer out of him once more. This had also resulted in Sasuke's Susanoo pushing his opponent away, thus making some distance between the two of them.

The Crimson Dragon only started to close his eyes as he was asked about this. "I was born into the Uchiha clan like you, Sasuke. But unlike you and Itachi…..I never had any talent. My frail body was condemned and viewed upon by the Uchihas as a curse! That is why me and my mother suffered the mistreatment at the hands of your parents! They left me to die in the river!" the figure screamed, his voice carrying some personal and emotional tone in it. He then opened his eyes, thus revealing some tears that was running from his crimson dragon-like eyes. "You still don't know who I am? Well I can tell you this hint. You were named after the great shinobi of the Sarutobi clan: Sasuke Sarutobi. And you probably know his story. Did you also know that he had a great friend that came from another clan? Well, it was because of this friendship that there became peace between their clans. This friend was the father of Danzo Shimura, a great shinobi of the Shimura clan. I hope you can figure out what the rest of the hint is" he then concluded giving Sasuke those hints.

Sasuke's crimson eyes was widening in shock over hearing the hint the Crimson Dragon was giving him. In fact, it also started to remind the raven-haired man about his childhood, back in the days when he was living the happy life with his family. Tears began streaming from his eyes as he was reminded about them. But that thought was short-lived, as Sasuke concentrated his attention on his opponent.

"You…are you…could you really be…" Sasuke uttered out those words lowly.

"Now you're trying to get all friendly with me!? It's too late for that now, you sorry son of a bitch!" the Crimson Dragon retorted before his Susanoo began crouching itself. "If you really wanna know more, then I suggest you head to the Isle of Tides! Then you'll see who I truly am! Farewell, Sasuke!" he said and his Susanoo began unleashing powerful winds with his dragon-like wings.

The winds were too powerful for Sasuke's Susanoo to resist and he was losing focus. With so many thoughts going onto his head, he couldn't concentrate. The giant creature of flames disintegrated and Sasuke found himself falling downwards. But despite the fact that he was falling down, he felt himself lose consciousness as his eyes started to close.

"What was those hints you gave me?" Sasuke wondered as his mind started to drift into sleep. While his eyes were closing, he could see the humanoid dragon fly away and eventually disappear. "Why do you hate me?" another question suddenly came into Sasuke's mind.

While he was feeling the air all around him as he fell, it was soon replaced by a loud splash. He was now finding himself surrounded by water. But Sasuke was not dead, nor was he drowning. He had landed into the ponds and were falling towards the bottom, soon sleeping on it amidst the water. Despite this, only one thing came into Sasuke's mind.

"Am I no longer the last of my clan? Is there a family that is still alive?" his thoughts kept wandering as Sasuke lied on the bottom of the pond sleeping.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Authors' note: This was a chapter which was focused on the surprise that would take place on the wedding. And here it was. The wedding was interrupted by the mysterious criminal called the Crimson Dragon, who had now taken with his accomplices: the Azure Dragon and the Ebon Dragon. Now who really is this trio of hooded men? And why does the Crimson Dragon resent Sasuke and his family so much? In this chapter, I also wanted some of the characters to be able to demonstrate their skills with fighting. The next chapter will focus on the aftermath of his unexpected attack from this trio of terrorists. I may also write about the couples and how they are getting on in light of this attack.**


	10. Reflections

**Author's note: This chapter will feature an intimate scene between Kiba and Hinata. It's OoC-features will be toned down, yet it will still be intimacy between them. I was inspired by the song Rhythm Divine by Enrique Iglesias while writing this chapter, given that it's about love and finding love. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 10: Reflections**

 _Inside the hospital, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

Sasuke's sleeping eyes slowly started to move, eventually opening up slowly. He could feel the voices of his friends calling to him, as well as feel the bright light enveloping on him. Opening them, Sasuke could see that he was now lying in a bed, and that he was in a building. From the looks of it, he knew he was in the hospital. The raven-haired man rose up and could see he was dressed only in a t-shirt and an underwear. He had so many questions filled in his head.

"You're finally awake" a voice could be heard from the other side. As Sasuke looked to the left, he saw Kakashi standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Before Sasuke could even say anything, his sensei did that for him. "Naruto and Sakura are on their way here as we speak. You were unconscious during the entire night" he then revealed to Sasuke.

Sasuke only glanced at him with his usual glance. "Why am I here?" he then asked his sensei.

Kakashi cooked an eyebrow at this. "You don't remember what happened yesterday? Well, you got dragged into the Crimson Dragon's surprise attack at the Aburame Clan Wedding. Once there, you came into conflict with the Crimson Dragon himself. You do remember, right?" he told him.

The raven-haired man snapped as his memories came back, including what he did at the Aburame Clan Wedding. He also remembered the confrontation he had with the Crimson Dragon up in the air, with each of them using their Susanoos. Sasuke faced his blanket as he recalled what he had experienced. Kakashi knew that Sasuke was now realizing about what had happened yesterday.

"I know what you're thinking" Kakashi noted lowly, thus making Sasuke glance at him questionably. The white-haired man nodded his head. "Yes. I also can't believe that this man was a real Uchiha. You didn't take him seriously at first. But after you saw his power….as well as his Mangekyo Sharingan…you were finally convinced…as were the rest of us" he told him.

"But something doesn't make any sense" Sasuke spoke up lowly while crutching the blanket with his hands. "If he was able to see what I had seen….why does he still resent me?" he then asked lowly, recalling all the harsh words he had heard from the Crimson Dragon.

Kakashi closes his eyes while sighing deeply. "I don't know, Sasuke. Maybe that's something only you can find the answer to" he then said while trying to be respectful to Sasuke as possible.

The door to the hospital suddenly opened and in came Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Yugao and Asami. Both Naruto and Sakura were relieved by seeing Sasuke awake. They both headed towards his bed and stood by his side.

"What did I tell ya, Sakura? He would make it just fine" Naruto told Sakura, who only rolled her emerald eyes in return by hearing this.

"I already know that, stupid. I never doubt my friends" Sakura told him in return while fixing her eyes upon Sasuke. "I'm glad you're doing fine, Sasuke. We checked your body for any injuries but found nothing. That's surprising, considering that you right into the pond from the air" she then told Sasuke, who only nodded his head weakly

"What happened with the Crimson Dragon?" Sasuke then began asking those around him.

Yugao frowned at this. "He and partners got away. That thing he did with his wings almost brought a hurricane to the Leaf Village. However, I must admit that we foolishly underestimated the Crimson Dragon and his tactics" the purple-haired woman noted before letting out a weak sigh of relief. "But at the very least, no lives were lost during the attack. However, I can't imagine how the Aburame clan must be feeling" she then said.

"Don't worry, Commander Yugao. I'm positive that they are coming to terms with this" Sai spoke up while giving his superior a reassuring smile. "In fact, I spoke with both Shino and Umeko just this morning. They were more concerned about the guests' welfare than the celebration" Sai added to his statement.

Naruto smiled as he heard this. "Yeah, those two have found the courage of love to move through these times. I like that" he remarked before frowning slightly. "But while Shino didn't get injured, the same can't be said for Kiba" he then noted lowly.

"He is also being treated here as we speak. Lady Tsunade herself had been in charge of his treatment" Sakura told those around her, including Sasuke, who had not known this before. "I haven't visited him yet, but I plan to do so after this. But then again, I can't believe how reckless Kiba was yesterday" she added with a hint of dispassion in her voice.

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder. "Kiba may not be the brightest, but I know he's a good guy. Trust me, Sakura. He knows when to have limits" the blonde-haired man insisted to her. However, he was beginning to remind about Hinata. "But Hinata seemed to be worried about him" he then admitted lowly.

Sasuke had to muse to himself as he heard what Naruto had said about Kiba. He too still remembered the impulsiveness that existed inside the young Inuzuka. But then again, Kiba was among the people he would least reconnect with, given how his know-it-all attitude always got the best of him.

"What kind of injuries did he suffer?" Sasuke then asked Sakura, given that she was medical expert when it came to such things.

"He suffered moderate burn injuries. It may not be as bad as serious bad injuries, but it still requires serious treatment" the pinkette told him in return.

"Lady Tsunade has put the entire village on martial law. We are trying to rat out any elements that are in league with the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts. At the same time, the Hokage has also sent out messages to her counterparts in the Sand Village and Mist Village. The Triple Entente will know that they share a common enemy" Yugao explained to Sasuke, who listened to what was being said.

Asami faced her superior and bowed her head formally. "Will we proceed with the mission as planned, commander?" she asked her.

Yugao nodded her head. "Yes. Based upon this outrageous action, we can no longer wait for this threat to continue in this world. Tomorrow, the Shadow Squad and the Interrogation Squad will head for the Land of Waves, and rendezvous with the Grim Guard and the Divine Division. Then, we will set sail towards this mysterious island called the Island of Tides. So far, none of our maps show us the location of this island. Hopefully, the Mist ninjas will know it, considering that the surrounding islands around the Land of Water is their territory" the purple-haired woman explained.

"Hopefully this will end soon. If we deal with the Crimson Dragon, we may also be able to find out more about the ships that has been transporting around the world lately" Sai said while he took his time to think on the matter. "And more importantly, maybe we will see if elements in the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth are involved or not. But so far, evidence suggests that these human traffickers are no friends of the Cloud Village or the Stone Village, based upon the picture of the slain shinobis" the pale-skinned man added.

Kakashi glanced at both Naruto and Sakura. Both his students could notice it and wondered why he was doing that. "I have a question to both of you. Will you be staying with Lady Tsunade and hold the fort? In a time like this, she could need your assistance" Kakashi asked them.

Both Naruto and Sakura smiled as they heard him say those words. "Honestly, I'm not sure. But given the tactics we witnessed those bastards use yesterday, we'll need to think strategic here" Naruto said while thinking about the event.

"Lady Tsunade requested that I stay here in the village in wake of the attack. However, we will send some of our professional medics to accompany the Shadow Squad with its mission. And rest assured, the Grim Guard and the Divine Division will bring along some medics as well" Sakura assured him, to which Kakashi nodded his head in approval.

Yugao glanced at Sasuke. "Now that your wounds have been healed, it may be best that you returned home" she told the raven-haired man in a surprisingly less commanding tone.

"Don't worry. Sasuke's staying with me, so I'll take him back when he's checked out of the hospital" Naruto assured her before leaning towards Sasuke, trying to whisper something in his ear. "And rest assured, your stay in the hospital is free, as it's on Sakura. You know what I'm getting at, huh?" he then whispered to him cunningly.

Sasuke was only confused by what he meant by that, as he didn't know if Naruto was trying to tell him a joke or something. But he had to smile a little as he could see Sakura pull her boyfriend by his right ear, her face filled with dissatisfaction.

"Don't think I didn't hear what you whispered to him. It won't make a difference!" she scolded Naruto, who felt pain was she pulled his ear.

"Ouch! I was just busting his balls, Sakura. Take it easy" Naruto told her and Sakura immediately stopped it, fixing a sweet smile as she heard him. The pinkette then headed towards the door, thus making Naruto surprised. "Hold on, where are you going?" he asked her.

Sakura turned around to face him. "I still gotta go and check on Kiba's condition. I gotta know whether he's in condition to check out of the hospital or not. You can tag along if you wanna" she told him.

"I'll pass. You won't be there for long. But you and I can talk afterwards if that's okay with you" Naruto told her.

Sakura smiled and winked at him, which made Naruto kind of stunned. "Then we'll talk again soon, handsome" the pinkette said before opening the door and exiting it.

This left Naruto utterly dumbfounded, yet his cheeks were blushing a little. He had to admit that Sakura, as stubborn and as bad-tempered she could be, was actually a terrific woman. Maybe he had it in his genes, considering that his father Minato fell for someone so outspoken as Kushina. That is what made him very attracted to Sakura.

In another hospital room, Kiba Inuzuka had his upper torso and arms completely bandaged, while he was bandaged around his nose and up to his forehead. He was awake, yet he still didn't figure out why he was at the hospital. But those around him soon filled that in for him.

"So that's how I ended up here?" Kiba asked those around him before focusing his attention on the bandages on him. "Hard to tell, but these bandages seem to heal my someway" he then noted.

"QUIT CHANGING THE SUBJECT, KIBA!" the stern and commanding voice came from Tsume Inuzuka, his mother. She along with Hana, Kurenai, Akamaru, Shino, Umeko and Hinata were visiting the young man in the hospital, having been waiting to see how far the treatment had progressed. So far, Tsume, Hana, Kurenai and Shino had been given him disapproving glances, while Umeko was more neutral. But Hinata on the other hand, was filled with sadness and relief over seeing him and the same thing could be said for Akamaru. But they were careful not to let that get in the way of Kiba's family. Right now, Tsume was furious over her son. "You know damn well how you ended up here. Your reckless thinking and charging straight towards the enemy almost cost you your life" the brown-haired woman added sternly to her explanation.

Realization began taking hold on Kiba, as he recalled the fight against the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts at the wedding yesterday. "Oh that's right. I first got my butt handed to by this Ebon Dragon, who then hurt Akamaru. Then I lost my cool and then charged towards the Crimson Dragon and…" Kiba was interrupted by the voice of his older sister.

"Yes, you charged towards him only to be incinerated in flames! How stupid can you possibly get?" Hana questioned her younger brother while facepalming. "If you had any sense, you would know when to not make such rash decisions, Kiba" the brown-haired woman added to her statement.

Kiba sighed deeply as he heard those words. "Look, I know I screwed up. But I only wanted to test my abilities against those creeps. I wasn't gonna let Naruto have all the spotlight to himself" the brown-haired man insisted to those around him.

Kurenai cooked an eyebrow in return, as did Shino, Tsume and Hana. "Are you still on about proving yourself to be better than Naruto? Let it go, Kiba. You are what you are. You are not an inferior being" the crimson-eyed woman told him, trying to make him see the point.

"Since when did I ever say I was that?" Kiba asked her while stroking Akamaru's white fur. "I'm no weakling, and Naruto's no shinobi god! He's simply a dimwitted doofus, which is why he nor Sasuke never won against the Crimson Dragon!" he then said, once again expressing his defiance.

"Kiba. Maybe it's time you stopped focusing on Naruto and started focusing on something else" Shino suggested to him while reaching his arm around his wife. They both looked at one another with smiles before kissing briefly. "Me and Umeko for instance, will now overcome this cowardly attack that happened yesterday. We won't let it ruin our marriage. Our love is stronger" the dark brown-haired man then added to his statement.

Hearing this made Kiba form a smile and he even glanced down at his blanket. "Ya know, I guess you have a point there, Shino" the brown-haired man then admitted, thus surprising those around him. He soon glanced up to those around him with a smug grin. "In fact, I can learn something from you, Shino. Frankly, I must express my admiration of how strong you and Umeko were during the wedding-crashing" he then said while facing the newlywed couple.

Despite being surprised at first, Shino had to smile as he heard what his often-reckless teammate just said. Umeko was doing the same thing. Hopefully, Kiba would start appreciate advice from those around him, especially his friends.

The door to the hospital room soon opened and in came Sakura, wearing her usual nurse coat. She smiled as she saw how Kiba was doing. "Oh, forgive me if I'm intruding, but I came here to check on Kiba's current condition. Did I interrupt you?" she kindly asked the group.

Hinata shook her head as a no while smiling. "No. N-nothing at all. Truth is, we were waiting for you to show up and examine Kiba's condition" the bluenette told her, to which Sakura nodded her head in understanding.

"Figures. Then it's a good thing I came here" Sakura said while entering the room and approached Kiba and the group surrounding him. The pinkette pointed a finger at the bandages on the brown-haired man. "These bandages are made to cool off any burn injuries while at the same time heal them. They only work on burn injuries, nothing else" she then told him while making sure the others were listening.

Kiba touched one of the bandages on his right arm and tore it off. Once the bandages were gone, he was amazed over that fact that there was no burn injury on his arm. "Wow…tell me this isn't a dream" the brown-haired man noted while studying his arm.

"It's…..it's impossible" Hinata remarked in amazement while seeing this. "I didn't know there existed such bandages. Kiba's arm looks very fine now" the bluenette remarked while seeing Kiba's arm. She glanced at the brown-haired man with a smile. "M-maybe your face is also healed" she then suggested to him. Kiba considered Hinata's suggestion and began ripping off the bandages on his face as well.

Once he did that and looked on a mirror on the nightstand, he gasped in amazement. "Holy hell…my face looks completely healed!" he remarked while he couldn't believe what he was seeing in his reflection.

"Hinata's right, Kiba. All your burn injuries have been cleaned thanks to those bandages. As a matter of fact, you can check out of the hospital" Sakura revealed to him with a smile. But the pinkette soon formed a frown with her mouth. "However, it's best if you don't stay in the sun for too long. Remember, recovering from burn injuries requires that you cool off your skin" the pinkette then pointed out to him.

Kiba faced him with a nod. "Alright. I better heed your advice. You're the medical expert after all" the brown-haired man said while grinning smugly.

Tsume smiled by what she was hearing and glanced at Hana. "Well, it seems that we no longer need to be standing in this hospital room anymore. Akamaru, you'll come with us" the middle-aged woman said while calling on the white-furred dog to accompany her. She then began glancing at her son. "Okay Kiba, we'll head home right now. We'll be waiting for you there" she then told him before they also exiting the door.

"I think we also need to head back home. Fact of the matter is, my father has summoned the Aburame clan to hold a discussion about the attack on our wedding. But we will see you soon" Shino said. He and his wife then left the door.

Kurenai nodded her head at Kiba before heading to the door. "I'm glad that you're alright, Kiba. But now I need to see how Ayumu is doing with the babysitter. But I'll talk to later" the crimson-eyed woman said before exiting the room.

Sakura tunred her attention on Kiba. "Shouldn't you be heading home, Hinata?" the pinkette asked her in a friendly manner. Hinata nodded her head weakly.

"I will, b-but there is something that I would like to talk with Kiba alone. Do you mind if I have some time with him alone? There is something I need to talk about" Hinata kindly requested, much to the surprise of Sakura.

The pinkette was at first stunned when she heard what her friend was asking of her. But knowing how close she and Kiba was as teammates and eventually lovers, she decided to allow it. Sakura nodded her head in return before turning around and heading towards the door.

"Okay. You may stay here a bit longer. But just don't take too long, okay?" Sakura told her before exiting the room, leaving Hinata alone with Kiba.

The brown-haired man was astounded to see why Hinata wanted to have some time alone with him. He watched as the beautiful bluenette turned around to look at him with a smile. But Kiba could also see that her cheeks were blushing a little, hinting to something more than having a talk. What was this all about?

"Was there something you wanted to ask me of, Hinata?" Kiba asked her in his usual laidback manner. She nodded her head.

Hinata put her arms behind her back while moving her feet a little. From what Kiba could tell, she looked sort of nervous about saying this. But Hinata was not the same shy woman as he had known her to be in the past. She had grown a little. This time, she had the courage to talk with him.

"Do you remember what happened during that…visit of yours?" Hinata asked lowly, her cheeks blushing. "You know, back w-when I expressed my feelings towards y-you?" she then added, her voice filled with a hidden lust on the inside. But Kiba couldn't see it, of course.

The young Inuzuka could not help but to have his eyes widen in surprise. Of course, he remembered what happened. In fact, even his cheeks began reddening and it went well with his red markings, which was a common trait shared amongst the members of the Inuzuka clan.

"Why yeah…but you don't have to feel bad over it, Hinata. I kinda lost my grip there too" Kiba spoke up, trying to make Hinata not feel guilty over her behavior.

"No. It's n-not that I feel guilty or anything" Hinata told him, thus making Kiba raise an eyebrow in question. She began tapping her fingers while her cheeks kept blushing. "I think…I think I want to do it with you again" she then admitted her voice filled with a hint of embarrassment.

Kiba felt his heart getting hit as he heard what came out of the young bluenette's mouth. He did not know how to respond to this. Kiba felt himself sweating, not because he felt hot, but because of the embarrassment of talking about such subjects to Hinata. In fact, he had expected her to be more reserved when it came to matters such as this.

"Which is w-why I ask you this…" Hinata said lowly before leaning over to Kiba, her face filled with tenderness and sweetness. Her brown-haired lover was stunned by what he was seeing taking place. "D-Do you want to go out with m-me, tonight?" she then asked him, her voice as sincere as she could ever be.

The young man felt something build up within him. What was that feeling? The longer he could feel it, Kiba started to realize what he felt was relief and gratitude. He could not believe that Hinata had found the courage to ask him out on a date. Words could not express how happy he was over hearing those words coming to him.

Kiba started to nod his head slowly. "Y-Yes. S-Sure. I mean, thank you I…" Kiba felt himself at loss of words, as there as so many feelings inside his head. He couldn't find the right words to describe yes. Sucking it up, Kiba smiled at her, this time fixing a more mature glance. "I will gladly go out with you tonight, Hinata" he then told her.

As soon as Hinata heard his answer, her feelings began taking hold on her. Without even thinking, she embraced her boyfriend in a tight hug, thus surprising Kiba. He really had no idea how happy Hinata was right now. The hug soon ended and she loosened himself from Kiba.

"But what about your family? I mean, doesn't your dad hate that we…" Kiba was stopped by a hush coming from Hinata, as he put a finger to his mouth. In fact, she even began glancing at him in a surprisingly mischievous way. Kiba was full of questions over her doing this.

"Lucky for us, he's not home during the evening. He and along with a few of the Hyuuga clan have been invited to a summit arranged by Lady Tsunade in the Hokage Tower. All the clan heads will be there. I of course offered to stay at the mansion and guard it" Hinata told him. "Now as for his opinion on us. I no longer need to heed his call. I decide what I will do. It's time that I did what my own heart want for once" the bluenette added to her statement.

Kiba nodded his head in return, showing some understanding towards the young woman. "Wow, since when did you become so…outspoken?" he then questioned her lowly.

Hinata giggled while closing her eyes. "Since the day you showed me the light, silly. I guess you taught me much on how to be a rebel" she then told him.

Kiba had to laugh as he heard this, finding himself feeling good now that Hinata was with him. He was certain that she felt the same way about him. "Okay. So where should we go to?" he asked her, deciding to let her chose the place.

"All that I need is just a walk through the village, especially in the park. We can meet in the park" Hinata then told him before leaning closer to him once again. "After that, we can go to my home and then have something to eat there. And trust me, I will have Natsu prepare our meal there" she said while giving him a wink.

Kiba could not resist this and he immediately said yes to what she suggested. "I'll do that, Hinata. Sounds like a terrific date to me. We'll simply dress something nice and them meet up at the park later" Kiba said to her.

Hinata smiled and then headed towards the door, but not before turning around to look at Kiba one last time before leaving the hospital. "Thank you…Kiba. Without you, I would be lost" she then spoke up in a more personal voice before exiting the door.

Once he was alone, Kiba could only whistle in amazement, not believing how much his shy teammate had changed in terms of personality. Maybe it was time for him to change his reckless personality as well. But right now, Hinata was all that Kiba could think about.

* * *

 _Inside Naruto's apartment_

Once Sasuke and Naruto got back to the apartment, Sasuke could not help but to feel tired, so he decided to simply rest on the couch. But he could see that Naruto was running back and forth, which made him raise an eyebrow slightly.

"You seem a little rushed. Are you going back to the Hokage Tower?" he asked the blonde-haired man, who simply grinned at him reassuringly in return.

"Yeah, because I spent the morning staying at the hospital, I must head to the tower to make up for my absence" he said while letting out a deep sigh. "And more importantly, I guess I didn't tell you this back at the hospital, but me and Sakura are going out later" he then told him.

While slightly surprised when hearing this at first, Sasuke couldn't help but to smile at Naruto. "Well, I think you should do that. Don't worry about me. Because of my mission tomorrow, I need to stay here for the evening. So go ahead and have fun with Sakura" the raven-haired man told him in a surprisingly gentle manner.

"Heh, thanks for the support, Sasuke. I'll let you know whether I'll stay with Sakura or coming home late. But I gotta go now" Naruto was about to exit the door, only for him to stop and slowly turn around to face Sasuke with a smile. His friend was confused when seeing this, yet Naruto kept smiling at him. "And by the way, thank you for showing up at the wedding. By that, I mean helping us deal with that black-hooded bastard. You were brave to stand against him with your Susanoo" he then told Sasuke, as honest as he possibly could be.

Sasuke smiled lightly when he heard this. "I did this to prevent more civilians from losing lives. Whoever this Crimson Dragon is, I can't allow him to continue to terrorize the Leaf Village. He must be stopped and face justice" he said to his friend.

Smiling, Naruto nodded his head at him before exiting the door. This left Sasuke alone in the apartment. While lying on the couch, the raven-haired man's head was filled with thoughts about the mysterious enemy he encountered yesterday. The way he had spoken to Sasuke, it was as if he knew him personally. As he thought about it, Sasuke's head drifted to the past, back when he was just a little child looking up to his elder brother Itachi as an inspiration. But as he thought about those days, his mind suddenly snapped, when he came to a realization.

"Back then…when I was little…Itachi was not the only Uchiha I would play with…" the raven-haired man noted while thinking about a certain boy that he had known during his early years…especially before the tragic massacre that would change him forever. "Saizo…but he died of an illness. As did his mother. They both died of leukemia" he then noted, recalling how Itachi had told him this many years ago when they were younger. It was a sad day for the entire Uchiha clan and a funeral had been held. Sasuke remembered him. Saizo was his and Itachi's maternal cousin, as their mothers were sisters. From what he could remember, Saizo was a gentle soul, yet at the same time, a very shy boy with little confidence in himself.

However, Sasuke decided not to focus on either him nor the rest of his clan. They were gone now, and he was the only one left. That was until the Crimson Dragon appeared. As he thought about him, Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger over considering the Crimson Dragon an Uchiha. To him, it would only be an insult to those who perished during the Uchiha Clan Massacre.

* * *

 _Later, in the park_

Kiba had simply put on a black sweater and pants. He still wore his sandals and forehead-protector, yet he had taken off his jounin vest for the night. The reason he was dressed like this was because of his date with Hinata. With his mom and older sister attending the meeting with the clan heads, Kiba could freely do this without having to tell them. Hopefully, this date would be known to him and Hinata only.

Waiting in the park, Kiba had found a seat on a nearby bench. It was evening and there were fewer people in the park. However, that didn't mean it was a scary place to be at during such times. And right now, Kiba was feeling very nervous on the inside, given that he was finally on a date.

"Man, I hope I don't screw this up. I do want Hinata to feel happy and have fun" Kiba noted in his head while watching the ground beneath him. The brown-haired man could only think about how this would happen, especially when they would go to Hinata's place. "So, her dad's not home. But is it really safe there? Come on! I gotta trust Hinata more. We've known each other since we were kids!" he then said to himself, trying not to let his doubts overcome him.

Kiba's thinking was interrupted by a soft feminine voice calling to him from the right. "There you are, Kiba" he recognized that voice as Hinata's and smiled. But the moment he turned right to look at his girlfriend, he froze. In fact, Kiba almost jaw-dropped as he could see the way Hinata was dressed. She looked gorgeous! She wore a grey dress that hugged her body perfectly. The dress reached down to her knees. It even showed her curves and bosom, which only made Kiba slightly aroused on the inside. However, she wore a white light jacked on the outside, given that she was standing outside. In addition to that, the young bluenette wore heels, and they revealed her pristine feet. Hinata giggled as her eyes met Kiba's. "I'm s-sorry that I'm late, but I just had to let Natsu know of my plans" she spoke up with an apologetic expression.

Kiba chuckled nervously as he heard that from her. "Eh, it's nothing to worry about, Hinata. I may not look like it, but I'm quite the patient man when it comes to going out on dates. That I can assure you" he then insisted to her, even though he felt like he had chosen the wrong words.

Nevertheless, Hinata simply nodded her head weakly, her smile never fading away. "Well then, s-shall we go?" she then asked him, her cheeks having some tint of redness. Still, Hinata wanted to take the initiative. "I….I know this good spot by the…." Hinata was interrupted by the voice of Kiba.

"Sure, beautiful. I bet there are more of those we'll come across. But there's one more thing" Kiba said while reaching out his hand to her. "Just take my hand and we'll walk together, you and me" the brown-haired man told her.

Hinata had to giggle as she saw Kiba's gentleman-like personality coming to light once again. He had impressed her yesterday at the wedding celebration. And once again, he had done it again. Hinata happily accepted Kiba's hand and they both walked together, holding hands like a couple.

As they were walking together, each of those two could feel something build inside of them. It was that of love. Needless to say, they both knew that this was all about them. However, Kiba wanted to make sure he was being respectful and nice to Hinata, as she had been the one to ask him out. The young man knew that by doing that, Hinata had exited her comfort zone.

Meanwhile, in another part of the park, Naruto and Sakura were on their own date, although they were headed towards Ramen Ichiraku. Sakura was dressed in a red jacket with pants, while Naruto had put on an orange sweater and some green pants. The two were having this date now that they were done at work. So far, neither of them had seen Hinata nor Kiba, as they were on their way out of the park.

"I'm surprised that you were finished at the hospital earlier. Or is it because someone is taking over for you?" Naruto questioned his girlfriend as he glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

Sakura nodded her head in reply. "It's just as you asked. Because of the long hours, I was given permission to leave earlier" the pinkette answered while thinking about the staff of the hospital. "And besides, the hospital has a staff that is more than capable of handling our patients" she told him.

Naruto smiled as he heard this. "Heh, I like what I'm hearing, Sakura. Who knows, even some of the kids attending kindergarten will one day become medical ninjas. They might as well look up to you for inspiration" he then told her, to which Sakura felt her cheeks blushing in return.

The blonde-haired man was surprised when he felt Sakura pull her right arm around him as they walked. Naruto looked at her and could see Sakura smile at him sweetly. Naruto felt that he would have to the return the favor by holding Sakura around her waist with his left arm. This time, it was Sakura who was surprised, much to her boyfriend's amusement.

"Heh, I'm just returning the favor" Naruto said before fixing his gaze forwards. "Anyway, let's move on to Ichiraku. I bet Teuchi and Ayame will be happy to see us" he then told her.

"You bet? I think there's no question about it, Naruto" Sakura pointed out to him, thus leaving Naruto confused. "I thought you knew them better than me, given the fact you are their number one customer" she then told him.

Rolling his eyes in return, Naruto decided not to pay attention to this. However, he fixed a smug smile with his mouth. "Let's just get there. I feel like I'm going hungry soon" the blonde-haired man said.

Ramen Ichiraku had changed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. Because of Naruto's fame and his favorite place to eat being the ramen bar, the place had achieved enormous popularity, and was actually the most visited restaurant in the Leaf Village. Its building had also changed and it now housed many seats and tables on the inside. At the same time, the staff had also expanded. This meant that Teuchi and Ayame no longer worked there alone. Teuchi was still the owner and manager of Ramen Ichiraku, while Ayame, despite the many opportunities, decided to continue working as a waitress. In fact, Ayame was made the head waitress of Ramen Ichiraku, instructing and guiding her colleagues, as well as the newcomers.

As the couple were standing outside, Naruto simply grinned with satisfaction. "Ah, nothing beats a good bowl of ramen" he said before he shoved the door to the side, facing Sakura. He asked her to enter first. "Ladies first" he then told her smugly.

Sakura had to smile as she saw Naruto's gentleman personality taking place. She took the initiate and entered, her boyfriend closing the door before joining up to her. The pinkette nodded her head at him in appreciation. "I must thank you for your hospitality, kind sir" she then said in a tone that sounded very formal.

"Hold on, I don't own this place" Naruto said to her while sweating a little. But he soon saw the joke his girlfriend was trying to pull on him and simply shrugged it off. "Anyway, let's go get something. All that hard work has really made me hungry" he then said to her.

Sakura giggled as she heard him. "Then I guess you deserve a bowl of ramen" she said before leaning up closer to Naruto's left air, trying to whisper something into him. "In fact, I have a special surprise for you back at my place" she then told him with a seductive voice, causing Naruto to gasp slightly.

The blonde-haired man thought he had misheard her or something. Thus, he wanted to make sure of it. "Hold on, Sakura. What did you just say?" he asked he.

His girlfriend turned around and faced him mischievously. "You'll have to wait and see, handsome. Now come along now" she said while winking at him, sending a signal of shock to Naruto.

Naruto was dumbfounded at first, but once he could hear his own stomach grumble, he immediately reverted back to his hungry self again. "Man, I think one bowl alone isn't enough. I better also order something else that will satisfy my appetite" he then noted to himself before following Sakura.

Once inside the restaurant, the couple wandered through the hall until they reached the longboard where Teuchi was standing there along with other cooks. In addition to the tables, customers could also sit by the longboard, where they would be given the opportunity to see how the cooks made the food in the kitchen. While Teuchi and his cooks took care of the customers at the longboard, Ayame and her waiters and waitresses took care of those seated by the tables.

The couple reached the longboard and Teuchi took notice of them. He smiled as he saw his favorite customer arrive along with his girlfriend. "Ah, so glad you decided to drop by, Naruto. Always nice to have you at Ramen Ichiraku" he said before nodding at Sakura. "And I see Sakura's with you this time. My, this will be an interesting evening for me and my staff" the middle-aged man noted in his happy mood.

While Naruto's cheeks blushed slightly in embarrassment, Sakura had to laugh by what she was hearing. "We are lucky to have been given a place like this to go to, Teuchi. Coming here always fills me up with laughter and joy" the pinkette told him.

"I know. You're both happy. We apricate hearing it" the restaurant owner said before motioning or them to sit on the bar stools. "Now take your seats. You can begin ordering and we'll get right on to it" he then told them.

Naruto and Sakura took their seats, each of them beginning to read what was read on the menus before them. Sakura had taken off her jacket, thus revealing a green sweater. As she was doing that, Naruto was focusing on reading the menu. Naruto had to admit that getting acquainted to this kind of menu was difficult. Back when he was a kid, he knew just the right type of ramen to eat. But ever since the place had expanded, many new courses had surfaced and it confused Naruto sometimes.

Sakura looked at her boyfriend with her usual smile. "So, are you ready to order? Or wait, you just want the simple type of ramen as usual, yes?" she then asked him.

"Of course, Sakura. All these new courses like that one with chili, that one with spices and that one with asparagus, are all completely out of place. I mean, what kind of doofus came up with such…..." Naruto was interrupted when Sakura hushed him while covering his mouth with her hand.

"Idiot, we're sitting before the cooks, remember!?" she whispered to him while also scolding him at the same time. "As customers, we need to respect our hosts, let alone their cooks. If we do that, they will respect us in return. Are you getting this?" she then went on explaining her reason for doing this.

Naruto simply nodded his head as a yes. Sakura removed her hand used a handkerchief to clean her hand. But both young jounins were surprised as they saw two glasses being placed before them. They saw that it was Teuchi who had done that. He faced the couple with a smile.

"Hold on, we didn't order drinks" Naruto said, only for Teuchi to grab a bottle of champagne nearby before popping out the cork.

"No need to worry. This one's on me" the restaurant owner said while pouring champagne to each of their glasses. "Considering that you are a fine-looking couple, I guess a drink is required. And besides, you deserve it, especially for what each of you has contributed to our village" Teuchi told them while putting the bottle of champagne on the longboard.

The young couple was stunned to hear this from him. Never had they seen Teuchi act so charismatic when it came to customers of his restaurant. But eventually, Naruto and Sakura couldn't help but to chuckle in amusement as they saw this.

"Awww, you're too kind, Teuchi" Sakura told him while taking her glass. "Thank you, by the way" she added.

"Yeah, you're the best" Naruto said, agreeing with Sakura's sentiments. The blonde-haired man suddenly realized something. "Oh, now as for my ramen, just give me the original, just the way I like it" he then said with a grin forming across his mouth.

Teuchi nodded and glanced at Sakura, who simply nodded her head while pointing her finger at Naruto. "I'll take that as well" she said. Teuchi then immediately headed back into the kitchen, where the other cooks were waiting.

Naruto smiled at the pinkette. "See, I told you that the original ramen is irreplaceable. But considering how hungry I am, I may order one more bowl" he said, only to see Sakura lean onto him, as If she wanted to whisper something to him. This made Naruto confused.

Sakura smiled. "I don't know whether you've noticed it, but it seems that you're quite famous, even in Ramen Ichiraku. I mean, listen to the customers whisper about you" she told him.

Doing what she said, Naruto took his time to look around in the hall, trying to see whether some customers had taken notice of him. While he was looking around, he noticed that some customers who were whispering about him mostly returned their focus on the menu, pretending they didn't see him. As a matter of fact, he could notice many of the female customers gush about him. But the moment he sat his blue eyes on them, they felt embarrassed and quickly hid behind the menu card. Naruto was beginning to realize that he was still famous among the ladies of the Leaf Village.

Sweating a little, Naruto refocuses his attention on the beautiful pinkette sitting next to him, forming a nervous chuckle in the process. "I don't think they're talking about me" he said while holding Sakura's chin with a soft touch. Their eyes met one another. "I think they're speaking over the fact how beautiful and stunning you are right now, Sakura" the blonde-haired man told her, making Sakura's cheeks blush in embarrassment.

Musing to herself, Sakura held up her glass of wine, which led to Naruto doing the same. They each glanced at one another with passionate eyes of love. Both of them were feeling very happy at the moment.

"Then let us toast for this wonderful evening, Future Hokage" Sakura said while teasing Naruto about his lifelong dream.

"Heh, whatever you say, Lady Sakura" Naruto replied, trying to figure out a way to counter Sakura's statement.

The couple of young jounins toasted their glasses before drinking from them. It was a sweet moment for the two lovers. Even now, many customers looked at them and saw how they were enjoying themselves together. Naruto and Sakura finished drinking and glanced at one another with smiles.

"Hey there, Boss! Fancy seeing you there!" Naruto and Sakura snapped and turned around to see who it was that had said those words to him. Naruto smiled as he could see a young brown-haired teenage boy dressed in a grey sweater and black pants. He also wore a forehead-protector around his forehead. In addition, he also wore a blue scarf around his neck. The young boy simply grinned at Naruto, who was his biggest idol. It was Konohamaru Sarutobi. "Heh, what's up?" he then asked him.

"Konohamaru! Man, it's been a while since I last saw you. How've you been?" Naruto asked with so much enthusiasm in the teenage boy.

Konohamaru simply rested his hands behind his neck while smiling. "Well you know, we've been on a mission to some messed up place to fight a gang of bandits. We returned home today afternoon" he then told him and Sakura.

"Are you visiting Ramen Ichiraku alone?" Sakura then asked him.

The young teenager simply shook his head as a no. "Nope. I'm here with Udon, Moegi and Ebisu-sensei" he told her. Konohamaru was soon joined by his team. They had been running to catch up with their outspoken teammate.

Ebisu panted while after running. "How many times have I told you, Konohamaru? You'll enter the restaurant once I have said so" the man with sunglasses scolded his student.

Konohamaru simply shrugged off his shoulders in return. "Give me a break, Ebisu-sensei. I'm no longer a kid. I know how to navigate" he told his sensei.

The clumsier member of Team Ebisu named Udon Ise adjusted his glasses while hearing this. "Why does Ebisu-sensei even bother doing this? Konohamaru won't listen to him, anyway" he was asking the young kunoichi named Moegi Kazamatsuri.

She only facepalmed when hearing this. "I've no idea" she responded to the four-eyed teenager's question.

But Ebisu quickly realized who they were standing before and immediately bowed his head to them in a formal manner, thus surprising Naruto and Sakura. "Hail, Master Naruto and Lady Sakura. Forgive me if we are intruding on your private matters" the man with sunglasses said.

"Eh….no need to address us so formally, Ebisu-sensei. I prefer to remain anonymous, you know" Naruto told him before glancing at Konohamaru. "Besides, any friend of Konohamaru is a friend of us. Are you also here to eat?" he then asked them.

Konohamaru pointed his thumb at his sensei. "Yeah, although it's more kind of a socializing thing" he said before an idea snapped in his head. "Hey! That reminds me, what are you and Sakura doing here?" he asked before fixing a mischievous glance at them. "Oh I get it! You two must be out here on a…OUCH!" Konohamaru was interrupted by Moegi, who was surprisingly pulling his left ear.

"Cut it out, Konohamaru! These two deserve a break from your jokes and insults" the young kunoichi told him sternly before letting go of her teammate's ear. Moegi then focused her attention on both Naruto and Sakura, her eyes filled with admiration. "I'm so happy in how you two have bonded with each other. You're my greatest heroes!" she then said.

Neither Naruto nor Sakura were sure on how to respond to this, yet they did apricate Moegi's admiration of them as great shinobis. Konohamaru only huffed when seeing this, while Udon simply facepalmed.

But Naruto sighed deeply and put an arm around Sakura while facing Team Ebisu. "Well, you want the truth. Yes, we're on a date. While we have gone out multiple times, we don't do that much now, especially given how busy we are on our jobs" Naruto spoke up, his voice sounding more mature than usual. "We're simply here to enjoy a good meal before heading back to…..." Naruto was interrupted when he saw Konohamaru approach him with gleeful eyes.

"Oh! How about we sit with you here!? Then we can talk on the most awesome stuff we've ever…." Konohamaru soon found himself getting dragged by not just Ebisu, but his teammates as well. The teenage boy became outraged. "Hey! What the hell are you guys doing!? Let me go!" he called them.

Ebisu grunted while dragging him away. "For crying out loud, Konohamaru! We're in a restaurant! Behave!" he told him.

"Yeah, let those two enjoy some time for themselves. They're on a date. Give them privacy!" Moegi told him while helping her sensei in dragging her repulsive teammate.

"But we're still gonna eat here, right? I'm starting to get hungry" Udon asked both Moegi and Ebisu.

Ebisu sighed deeply while hearing this. "Yes, Udon. We are. But not if we're sitting so close to Master Naruto and Lady Sakura. They deserve to remain undisturbed this evening" the man with sunglasses replied.

Konohamaru simply huffed in return when he heard this. "Hmmm…buttholes" he muttered lowly.

Ebisu could not help but to smile as he was seeing how Naruto and Sakura were enjoying their ramen together as a couple. "Hmmm…...they really seem to have fun. I am happy on their behalf. Now I understand why Lady Tsunade thinks so highly of them" he noted before forming a frown with his mouth. "However, what transpired here yesterday. Terrorists interrupting a wedding. Who in the right mind would commit such a cowardly attack? But if those two were to have a wedding, would something similar happen as well? I am not sure" he wondered while adjusting his sunglasses.

* * *

 _Inside the Hyuuga mansion_

Kiba and Hinata had arrived at the mansion after taking a stroll in the park. So far, the date was going smoothly, as both of them had thought. Now as they were entering the mansion, the couple was welcomed by one of the Hyuuga clan's many maids: Natsu Hyuuga. The young woman simply bowed her head towards Hinata in a formal manner. This was due to the fact Hinata was the heiress of the Hyuuga clan.

"Welcome back, Lady Hinata. I trust that you enjoyed your trip" Natsu spoke up, her voice sounding so gentle, similar to Hinata's own. The young maid focused her attention on Kba. "And I bid you welcome to our home as well, Kiba Inuzuka" she told him, surprisingly smiling at him.

The brown-haired man had to admit he was surprised to see how respectful the maid was behaving towards a non-Hyuuga like himself. But then again, it was not surprising, conserving her kind reception of him and his family during their discussion with the Hyuugas.

"I…apricate your hospitality...madam" Kiba replied, not knowing how to reply to the maid.

Natsu simply smiled sweetly in return while closing her eyes. "Please, just call me Natsu. There's no need for any formalities with me" she insisted to him.

"Right…...sorry" the brown-haired man responded, even lowering his head as a means to apologize her.

Hinata felt amused in seeing Kiba getting so friendly with a maid like Natsu. But she had not forgotten what the program for them in the mansion was. She approached the maid with her usual gentle expression.

"Natsu. I know that my father is away, but where is Hanabi?" Hinata asked her.

"Lady Hanabi was called on by the elders to have a talk with her. She's with them, as are rest of our clan. Only Tokuma, Iroha, Hoheto and Ko accompanied your father to the clan summit" Natsu answered before motioning her head at Hinata's jacket. "Shall I take this jacket?" she then asked her.

Hinata immediately shook her head as a no. "No, I'll take care of it. You should head for the kitchen instead and begin serving the food. We'll be at the table shortly" the young bluenette told her and Natsu did as she requested and headed for the kitchen.

Kiba smiled as he heard what was going. "Heh, I look forward to this dinner. I wonder what we're…." Kiba's statement was interrupted as Hinata took off her white jacket, thus revealing her tight and hugging dress. Kiba's almost dropped his jaw on the ground, yet he managed to compose himself. But he could not help but to feel aroused as he watched how the dress fit Hinata well. "Wow…Hinata…...you're…" he didn't know what to say.

Hinata's dress hug her body perfectly, including her voluptuous breasts and big butt. As she walked over to hang her jacket on a stand, Kiba could see how her hips and butt were swaying with each step she took. It made him almost lose his mind.

"Holy fuck…Hinata's body is so…..." Kiba's head was filled with so many dirty thoughts, yet something made him snap his mind. The moment Hinata rose her arms to hang her jacket, he could briefly see the opening in her dress, which then showed him Hinata's side boob. Blood was dripping from her nose. But Kiba immediately cowered it with his hands. "Damn it, Kiba! What the hell are you doing!? This is not the time to think about such things! You're better than this!" he said in his head, trying to control his senses. So far, Hinata had not taken notice of what he was doing, as she was busy hanging up her jacket properly. Meanwhile, Kiba was sweating while trying to battle his hormones. "But I can't help myself! Her outfit is so fucking sexy! But I gotta keep it together! For once in your life, a girl actually likes me!" he then added.

Hinata was finished hanging her jacket and turned her attention to him with her usual kind-hearted smile. She could see that Kiba was now looking around in the room, even whistling as if nothing was happening. But this was perhaps his attempt to not look as if he had checking her out.

"Is t-there something on your mind?" Hinata asked her kindly while taking notice of his curiosity.

Kiba simply grinned at her while chuckling nervously. "Oh, it's nothing. I just couldn't help but to notice how quiet it was when most of the Hyuuga clan's not here" he then said, trying his best not to come up with an excuse.

Hinata smiled sweetly, even laughing by seeing what her boyfriend was doing. "Well, most of us Hyuugas don't like when a room is overcrowded, so we do tend to have some open spaces" she told him, although Kiba was not sure whether she was bluffing or not. "Anyway, let me show you the way to our dining table. It's actually in our living room" she told him while reaching out a hand to him.

"Gladly. Lead the way then, Hinata" Kiba said while taking her hand.

The two were then walking side by side while holding hands. While walking, Hinata felt her own cheeks blush, something Kiba took notice of. But he didn't wish to embarrass her. And that also included staring at her big bust. While walking, Kiba made sure to control his urges and not to take a glance at Hinata's breasts, which were showing some signs of jiggling.

"Okay, Kiba. That's the spirit! Keep forward and don't stare at her breasts! Yes. Easy does it" the brown-haired man said, as if he was talking to his inner perverted self. He knew how Hinata still possessed some of her shyness, despite having come out of her comfort zone, recently.

They couple entered the living room and Kiba was surprised what he could see standing in the middle of it. It was a long, wooden Japanese dining table, with two pillows reserved for the two lovers. But there was more to it. The table was decorated nicely with plates, chopsticks, small cups, bowls and even a plant, which was just for decoration. Natsu came out of the kitchen with the food. She was plates containing Kiba's favorite foods: beef, steak, jerky, and cartilage It secretly made the young Inuzuka happy on the inside.

Kiba quickly took his seat and faced Hinata, who was sitting across his direction. "Wow. Look at all this food! It's amazing. Heck, even this table looks amazing, considering the way it's decorated. Did you do that?" he said while glancing up to Hinata, who was smiling at him. She nodded her head as a yes to his question. "Well that's very terrific. You're even better than my sister and mom. But who am I to judge when I'm not much of a decorator myself" Kiba then remarked.

Hinata had to blush as she heard what Kiba just said. "I-I appreciate your compliment, Kiba" she said before deciding to move on to the next phase. "I hope you're hungry. Do you Inuzukas have a good appetite?" she then asked him.

"Well, that depends on whether you're hungry or not" Kiba said while forming a smile at her. "But honestly, I don't necessarily consider myself to be a glutton. And besides, Chouji and his family are all gluttons" he then remarked.

"Is that so? I'll be the judge of that" Hinata said with a mischievous smirk forming in her mouth, which only made Kiba raise an eyebrow. She then turned her attention to Natsu. "Okay Natsu, you know the drill, if we ask anything, you will bring it" she told the maid with a kind expression.

Natsu bowed her head formally in return. "Of course, Lady Hinata. I'm at your service" she told her in return.

After Hinata and Kiba was finished with the prayers, they started eating the food. This gave Kiba some form of relief, as he would have to concentrate on eating the food. That, coupled with the fact it was his favorites, only made him more focused. He took a steak in his mouth and couldn't believe what he was tasting.

"This steak's flavor….." Kiba uttered lowly before smelling the steak. From the look of it, it felt good to him. "It's so delicious!" he noted while taking the steak in his mouth. He then grabbed a cartilage with his chopsticks and held it up. "This cartilage comes from fish, right?" he then asked Hinata.

"Certainly. I'm glad that you enjoy fish. Normally I don't like such, but this type of fish is something that tastes good" Hinata answered while taking bite from a beef.

"The way it's cut and salted…it's amazing" he said and took a glance at his cup, which was currently empty. He looked at Hinata. "Are there any drinks to…" Kiba was interrupted as Natsu poured something on his cup. From the looks of it, it was sake. "Sake? Now we're talking. Thanks for the fill-up, Natsu" he thanked the maid.

Natsu smiled in return and nodded her head. "You're welcome, Kiba" she told him.

"Be careful not to drink too much sake, Kiba. You don't wanna miss the fun" Hinata told her boyfriend who simply shrugged his shoulders in return.

"No need to worry. I don't have an addictive personality, if you know what I mean" he said while taking a bite of a jerky. "Mmmm… even the jerky is tasty. I must commend the cooking here. You obviously did a great job, Natsu" Kiba said while looking at the maid.

Natsu chuckled nervously in return. "I'm glad that you enjoy the meal, but I'm not the one who cooked this" she revealed, much to Kiba's utter surprise. The maid nodded her head before motioning her head towards Hinata. "That's right. I'm only doing the servicing, the one who cooked this food…is Lady Hinata" she revealed to him.

Kiba was astounded as he glanced at the beautiful bluenette sitting across the table. While she was sort of embarrassed when she heard it, Hinata nodded her head to confirm Natsu's words.

"But…wow….you're an amazing woman, Hinata. I never knew you were talented in cooking" the brown-haired man said.

"It's not that surprising. Cooking is something I've done in my spare time" the bluenette said with a smile on her face.

After a good and delicious meal, Hinata took Kiba's hand and lead him to what Kiba did not expect: her bedroom. Natsu was left to deal with the dishes and cleaning, so Hinata would be with Kiba. As the couple now stood in Hinata's bedroom, the brown-haired man couldn't help but to wonder what was going on. He thought that Hinata wanted to talk to him about something important.

"Hinata…..is there something…." Kiba was caught by surprise as Hinata pressed her lips against him. While surprised at first, the brown-haired man returned the favor and kissed her, even holding around her waist. Soon their lips parted and Kiba glanced into the bright-eyed woman's face. "Thanks…..it felt nice" the brown-haired man told her.

"Kiba…..I don't know how to say this but I…I….." Hinata felt slightly confused, yet she tried not to let her nervousness get the best of her. "I can't stop thinking about you! Ever since you helped me get over Naruto…..I've wanted to repay you somehow….but with what? I'm so confused right now!" she admitted, blushing as she said those words in front of her boyfriend.

Knowing that this stunning woman really wanted to be with him, Kiba felt that he had to try it. He was going to ask Hinata to do what he had really wanted. A slight mischievous grin could be seen on his face, and the bluenette had taken notice of it.

"So, you really can't stop thinking about me?" Kiba asked her, to which Hinata quickly responded with a nod. Kiba felt a sexual urge build within him and it only encouraged the young Inuzuka to share it with her. "Then how about you and I sleep in the same bed tonight?" he suggested to her, almost leaning onto Hinata in order to whisper that.

Hinata's bright eyes widened in disbelief. "W-What d-did you just s-say!?" she was at loss for words in what her boyfriend was telling her. "You m-mean us sleeping together? Like…...right now?" the bluenette needed a clear answer.

"What else do you think, babe? Come on, I can tell by hearing your voice that you don't wanna be alone all night" Kiba pointed out, moving closer to his girlfriend, who had remained still so far. "And it's not in my nature to leave someone as gorgeous as you alone, Hinata. You know that, don't ya?" he told her.

Right now, the Hyuuga-heiress felt her entire head spinning around in circles. A part of her felt very reluctant to do this with him. She was the daughter of Hiashi Hyuuga, the meanest clan head in the Leaf Village. But the other part of her…wanted it. As a matter of fact, she desired it. No matter how much she tried to suppress it, Hinata simply couldn't let go of her urges. She needed Kiba at her side.

"You're right…I want you….Kiba. N-No, I need you" Hinata finally confessed her desires.

Kiba looked at her in amusement. "That's more like it. Just the words I wanted to hear from you, Hinata" the young man told her, yet understood that he would have to be more precise with what they would do in that bed. "And don't worry, we're not gonna do anything uncomfortable. All we gotta do…...is to find comfort in each other on this bed. And that may not be harder as we think it is" he then told her.

"Oh….so that's how it is?" Hinata asked, her naivety getting into focus once again. But something hit her head and she felt like she needed to ask Kiba something. "But one more thing, Kiba….I….I'm not comfortable with getting naked in this room…y-you know, considering how big it is" she then told the brown-haired man.

Kiba had to chuckle at her. "Who said we were gonna sleep naked together?" he musingly asked Hinata, who still couldn't control the blushing on her cheeks. "No need to fret, Hinata. You can sleep with whatever you wear, even a pyjamas if you have…whoopsie…...I shouldn't have said that" he regretted bringing that up, yet Hinata had to giggle in hearing this.

"You're such a silly boy. I'm too grown up to be using pyjamas" Hinata informed him, forcing Kiba to gulp in embarrassment.

"Right…...just forget I said that" Kiba quickly replied, deciding to return focus on how to sleep in the same bed. "Anyway, I'm just gonna sleep in my underwear. Surely you wouldn't mind if I did, would you?" the brown-haired man told Hinata about what he would sleep in.

When Hinata heard him say this, her mind started imagining what it would feel like. True, he wouldn't be sleeping naked, but his muscular torso would be exposed. Those muscular arms and abs. The bluenette couldn't stop thinking about them.

"Hinata….are you alright?" he asked her.

The bluenette snapped back into reality. "Gah! Sorry, Kiba. I was lost in my little own world! I didn't mean to…" Hinata paused when she could feel Kiba's hands on her shoulders. Somehow, it eased her nervousness. She stared into the eyes of Kiba.

"Don't worry about it, babe. I like the way you are" Kiba informed her and kissed the bluenette's forehead, which caused her to freeze, given that she didn't see that one coming. "As a matter of fact, why don't I get in bed first and then you do? And I promise, I won't be as wild as I can be" he suggested to his girlfriend.

Hinata couldn't help but to smile in hearing this. "Oh Kiba…I don't know what to say….." she felt puzzled, yet the Hyuuga realized what she truly wanted. "Personally, I think we should both get in bed together. But can we please take it slowly?" Hinata then asked him.

"Of course, Hinata. Just follow my lead" Kiba answered her in full honesty.

Moving over to the bed, they each sat on its sides and began undressing themselves. However, they wouldn't be sleeping naked, as they had agreed on. As promised, Kiba was only down to his black underwear. Wondering about how Hinata was doing, briefly looked over his shoulder to see his girlfriend. He's cheeks reddened in what he saw.

Hinata had managed to take off her dress, thus exposing her delicate back. Her skin was so pristine, something Kiba was painfully aware of. And not only did he see her skin, he could also see her white bra and panties. Even though he couldn't see it, the white bra was barley holding her large breasts. They were hanging. Blood was slowly streaming from his nose, thus forcing Kiba to hold himself.

"Damn it! Not again! I'm not gonna let my perverted side get control over me! That I swear!" he thought, struggling to contain his urges.

But as he was struggling, Hinata could take notice of it. Feeling concerned, she decided to ask if he was alright. Crawling over the bed, she began poking her boyfriend in the back, thus snapping him out of his senses.

"Kiba…..are you feeling okay?" she asked him.

Knowing that he would have to answer her, Kiba slowly looked over his shoulder to face Hinata in her wonderful eyes. He was turned on. Even her eyes were breathtaking. Frankly, in his opinion, everything about Hinata was breathtaking. Still, he had the courage to look at her and reply.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. It's just that…...this is the first time I'm sleeping with someone I love and deeply care about…." Kiba spoke up, yet he finally turned around and looked at the bluenette in her eyes. "But d-don't feel bad or anything. I know that I will sleep comfortable tonight, especially with you lying next to me" he then fumbled up words.

Hinata had to blush and giggle in seeing Kiba behaving this way. It turns out he too was a bit nervous in doing this, except that he refused to admit it openly. Feeling confident enough to lecture him, Hinata decided to speak up her mind.

"Kiba…..it's okay to say you're a little nervous…..I am too. There's no need to put on all this tough-guy act. Not everyone is perfect…" the bluenette informed Kiba.

Feeling slightly embarrassed to have heard it, Kiba laughed it off. "Thanks, Hinata. I really needed to hear that. Yes, I'm a bit nervous" the Inuzuka said, yet he decided to take the next step with getting to sleep with this stunning woman. "Still, I don't wanna miss this chance to get in bed with you. I wanna share my love with you" he said as he leaned closer to Hinata's mouth.

Even though she could feel her heart pounding repeatedly, Hinata didn't move away from Kiba's incoming lips. Instead, it encouraged her to embrace them. As such, their lips collided. The making out between the two lovers began. They kissed each other and it didn't take long before Kiba started to take the next step. He began kissing her neck, while holding her close to him. In return, Hinata did the same thing, breathing deeply while resting her head on Kiba's left shoulder. Now, the intimacy between them had begun.

Eventually they both dragged each other to the large pillows, continuing making out and enjoy each other's embrace. It felt wonderful. Neither of these young ninjas had experienced this before. And right now, Kiba found himself to be a lucky man.

All this temptation and comfort he received from Hinata only made Kiba sleepier by the minute. Not willing to refuse such wonderful offer, he and Hinata slept closely to one another. What mattered to the two of them, was that they had each other. They both held each other while slowly drifting into sleep.

"Good night, Hinata. And thank you for this date" Kiba said as his lips was near Hinata's. "I love you, so much" he then added before drifting into sleep.

"Good night, Kiba. I love you too. Thank you for giving me this new courage" Hinata said.

The two lovers kissed before they eventually fell into sleep, both of them dreaming about the sweetest thing, since this was probably one of their best nights in their entire lives.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Authors' note: Alright! For those you of you who are new to this story, I have decided to tone down the lemon between Kiba and Hinata. Looking back at it, I felt that Hinata was a bit OoC in terms of this chapter's former content. That is why I decided to simply make it an intimate scene between the two by having them sleeping in the same bed. But still, this is a mature story, so sex and intimacy will be involved. With Naruto and Saukra, it will be obvious, but the ones between Kiba and Hinata will have to wait. Now in this chapter we also learned about Sasuke having some thoughts about the Crimson Dragon. What is his true identity? Could he be someone who had a close and personal relationship with Sasuke? Only time will tell. We will soon get to see Sasuke joining up with the Shadow Squad, as well as their mission to stop whoever these terrorists are.** **See you around!**


	11. Following One's Desires

**Author's note: This chapter will feature a lemon scene between Naruto and Sakura. I was inspired by the song "Listen To Your Heart", which has been sung by many artists. My favorite is the one from D.H.T. As you all may know, that song revolves around love. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 11: Following One's Desires**

 _At the Haruno residence, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

Having spent their time at Ramen Ichiraku, Naruto and Sakura headed over to her place. The blonde-haired man was already feeling stuffed after eating about 5 bowels of ramen, much to the utter surprise of Sakura. She had only eaten 2. But then again, Naruto was quite the expert when it came to eating ramen, and Teuchi always served the best ones.

The trip to Sakura's home didn't take long, and Sakura opened the door. As they entered, Naruto couldn't help but notice that no one was in her home, not even her parents. This made him confused.

"I don't get it. Where are your parents?" Naruto asked Sakura, as she was busy hanging up her jacket. Underneath it, she wore a thin green sweater and black pants.

Sakura only stared at him flatly once she heard Naruto ask him that question. "I believe I told you this earlier. Mom and dad are out of the village this week on a trip to the Land of Tea. They decided to take a vacation from all the work they have done" she then reminded him.

Seeing this caused Naruto to only chuckle nervously while scratching the back of his head. "Oops…sorry about that. I almost forgot that you told me that at the hospital" the blonde-haired man said, remembering what she had told him back then. "I guess both the champagne and the ramen has made me sort of forgettable about today" he then told her.

Sakura giggled in amusement as she heard this. "You don't say. But you only drank one glass of champagne" she said before forming a slight frown on her mouth. "But remember, Naruto. Don't even think about pulling something stupid here. Most of the valuable things in this house belongs to mom or dad. Try not to do anything foolish" the pinkette then insisted to him.

"Tch, don't get your panties in a twist. I know how to behave during a visit" Naruto scoffed while not taking her warnings seriously. "As much as I would love for us to stay at my place, it would be kinda awkward for Sasuke, you know. Considering that he lives with me, momentarily" he then added with a smug grin.

"I know that, Naruto. But I'm supportive that you let Sasuke stay with you. And it's okay for us to stay here at my place. But there are rules to follow here, as a matter of fact" Sakura told him while forming a slight serious expression. "And believe me. While my dad would not give much thought about you breaking stuff, my mom would definitely get pissed if you broke something. Her temper is way worse than mine" Sakura then told him.

Hearing this caused Naruto to drop a sweat while raising an eyebrow. "Seriously? If that's true, then you got one messed up family, Sakura. Just saying" the blonde-haired man noted with a hint of uneasiness in his voice. But Naruto easily shrugged it off and fixed a bright smile on his face. "Anyway, shall we stay in the living room? I bet we can play a game, watch a series or…" the blonde-haired man was interrupted by Sakura shaking her head as a no.

"We have seen so many soap opera series already! And gaming is not the right activity to do on a date night! How about we do something more romantic like…." Sakura began leaning onto Naruto while whispering something into his left ear. "Having a drink or two while talking. We have some bottles of sake in the dining room, if you catch my drift" she then whispered.

Seeing this made Naruto jump into excitement, the blonde-haired man more than happy to hear what his girlfriend just told him. He fixed her with a confidential grin. "Oh, why didn't you just say it? I'm definitely up for it. Shall we drink it in the dining room, then?" he then asked her.

Sakura shook her head once again. "Nope. Since my parents are out for the week, we can do whatever we want in this house. And that includes: drinking sake while having a talk about all kinds of things" she insisted to him mischievously.

Naruto was not sure of what to make of this. But he did in fact say something to her. "Well, with sake and popcorn and a movie, it we will have a great time together!" he told her, only for Sakura to glance at him dumbfounded. "Come on, Sakura. We can only see one series and then do something else. I mean, we can even watch a romantic series if that's the problem here" the blonde-haired man then insisted to her.

Rolling her emerald eyes, Sakura agreed to her boyfriend's suggestion. "Alright. Go turn on the TV. But we only do this because it's you, Naruto" she told him.

"Awesome! This evening's gonna be great. It's been a long time since we last had a date like this" Naruto told her while feeling happy over being with her. "Honestly, we both need a timeout from our jobs and responsibilities, Sakura. I mean, being stuck at the Hokage Tower all the time sure is a pain in the ass" he then admitted to himself.

Sakura smiled before putting a hand on his left shoulder. "But you want to become a Hokage, isn't that right?" she asked him, which made Naruto glance at her with his normal curious expression. "Trust me, learning administrating under Lady Tsunade and Kakashi-sensei will become useful to you once the mantle of Hokage is passed on to you. In fact, I'm happy that you have begun busting your butt to prepare yourself for the day when it comes" the pinkette said, even giggling at the end of her sentence.

As confused as Naruto was, he had to smile at Sakura and patted her head gently, which only astounded the young woman in return. "Thanks for the encouragement. I really needed it, Sakura" he then thanked her before landing a kiss on her forehead.

Sakura had to blush as she felt that kiss. Even so, she happily accepted it, knowing how her boyfriend could be quite the romantic type sometimes. "Well, let's do this. You will go and turn on the flatscreen, as well as making the living room more romantic while I go and prepare the popcorn and the sake. How does that sound?" she questioned him.

Naruto simply gave her a thumb up while grinning cheekily. "Sounds reasonable to me. I'm on it!" he said and headed straight for the living room.

"Now remember, DON'T destroy any valuables" Sakura reminded him sternly once again.

"I know, Sakura. You don't have to tell me twice" Naruto's voice could be heard from the living room.

The beautiful pinkette sighed deeply before heading to the kitchen, where she began on the popcorn while Naruto fixed the TV. As she was waiting for the popcorn to finish, Sakura couldn't help but to think about all the dates those two had been going out on together. In fact, she was now starting to get closer to him as a person. By only thinking about him made Sakura slightly turned on.

"Naruto…" she thought about him while eventually being reminded about the sake. She then headed for the dining room to pick up the bottles of sake.

While Sakura was doing that, Naruto was turning on the TV to see if there were some shows that was worth seeing. But so far, he was not finding any good on the screen. What he only found was lame soap operas and stupid programs. But he eventually managed to find a romantic series.

"There. That would do it. Now to wait for Sakura, the popcorn and the sake" he said to himself. But as Naruto was waiting for his girlfriend to arrive, he couldn't help but to think about her. He was now in her home and they were still on this date. But what was different this time was the fact that both Naruto and Sakura were alone in this home, given that Kizashi and Mebuki were out. Many thoughts began closing in on him. "I wonder what Sakura also wants to do here in the house. Somehow, I feel like I wanna sleep with her. But will she be okay with that?" he then wondered, thinking about the things they could do together in this house.

But Sakura arrived with her popcorn and sake and the couple son began digging in the snacks. They then proceeded to watch this episode of the romantic series, which Naruto didn't necessarily seem to enjoy. But Sakura on the other hand, did it. She even gushed so many times that Naruto had to understand why she was fascinated with a series like that. The series was all about young student who was falling in love with a popular girl. As soon as it ended, Sakura still felt enamored by what she has seen.

"Well, what do you think? Wasn't that a great episode?" Sakura questioned Naruto with a smirk.

"Man, some romantic series are just lame. And this one is no different. I mean, how come every romance series is either about a doofus falling in love with a hottie or an awkward teenager trapped in a harem?" the blonde-haired man muttered to himself. He then glanced at Sakura, who was still smiling at him smugly. "Couldn't we have seen that series about the orange-haired hothead in the black shihakusho who battles those evil spirits instead? I mean, at least there's both romance and action in it at the same time" he then asked her while mentioning a series which he was a particular fan of.

Sakura simply crossed her arms while glancing at him with a bored expression. "Sorry. But I'm not particularly into paranormal nonsense. I'm way more of a comedy and action woman" she said before forming a sweet smile with her mouth. "But I'm also quite a romantic woman, if you catch my drift" she told him.

Naruto couldn't help but to be dumbfounded at that statement. "What do you mean by that, Sakura? Have the sake begun to affect your….." Naruto was in for a surprise as his lips were caught by Sakura's. He was very unsure about this, yet he returned the kiss and held around her waist. Sakura responded by holding Naruto on his shoulders. After this passionate kissing, they separated, with Naruto feeling amazed by what just happened. "Wow…...that was amazing" he said to her.

"So, you thought this kiss was amazing?" she asked him smugly and Naruto nodded his head as a yes to her question. A mischievous grin was formed on the pinkette's face. "If you want to see something that's REALLY amazing, then follow me upstairs to my bedroom, I have so much to show you" she then told him while rubbing Naruto's left shoulder.

Naruto smiled when he heard the tone in his girlfriend's voice. From what he could tell, it was really something worth seeing with his own eyes. Not wasting more time in the living room, the couple quickly headed upstairs, teasing and tickling each other on the way up. They were having a race to Sakura's bedroom, in which Naruto seemed to won. The blonde-haired man felt so confident in himself while watching his girlfriend slump in defeat.

"Heh! I won! Looks like you're getting slower" he told her with a teasing grin.

Sakura crossed her arms while huffing at hearing this. "Only because you cheated, stupid!" she told him. But her angry face soon turned into that of her usual bright smile. "Now I need to go to the bathroom. You stay right here and wait for me, okay?" she then told him before heading to the bathroom.

Naruto simply chuckled to himself and began lying in Sakura's queen size bed. He found it very comfy to lie on. In fact, it was even better than his bed back at his apartment. Looking to his right side, he could see some pictures standing on a nearby tray table. One of them was a picture of him, Sakura and Sasuke when they were younger, with Kakashi standing behind them. It was the first picture Team Kakashi took together. Good memories started flowing back into his mind as he observed it.

"Heh. I can't believe it's been so many years since that time. So many have changed" Naruto admitted to himself while recalling all the battles he had been involved in up until now. As he thought about them, the young man formed a frown while thinking about the recent incident at the Aburame Clan Wedding yesterday. "Damn those terrorists. Whoever they are, they'll pay for disturbing the peace here. But what I don't get is why this Crimson Dragon bears resentment towards Sasuke. Is there some info we've overlooked in terms of the Uchiha clan?" he then wondered, also thinking about his friend in the process.

Naruto was in deep thought until he spotted another picture standing on Sakura's nightstand. This picture was that of him and her. Naruto smiled, as he recalled where that picture had been taken. It had been taken recently, during the winter. Naruto and Sakura had been accompanying their friends to a get-together at Ramen Ichiraku. Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Sai, Tenten and Lee had also been attending this get-together. From Naruto could recall, it was fun. The one who had taken this picture was Sai, who had been asked to do that after Ino had been refused by Sakura.

"Man, that night sure was fun" Naruto remarked lowly while seeing the picture.

"Hey there, handsome" the blonde-haired man snapped as he could hear Sakura's voice, except for the fact that it sounded sort of seductive. Turning around, Naruto's blue eyes widened as she saw Sakura standing there in a red morning coat. She stood in the doorway while glancing at him so mischievously. "Sorry for the wait" she then said.

Naruto had to admit that he was dumbfounded by that statement coming from Sakura. "Sakura…...what are you doing? And more importantly, why are you wearing your morning coat?" Naruto asked while sounding confused. But he looked down and could see that Sakura was wearing something on her feet. It looked like red stockings. He glanced up to her again. "Have you been taking a shower?" he then asked her.

This time, Sakura had to laugh sweetly, as she found amusing to see her boyfriend acting so silly. But she did this as she felt it was cute to see Naruto act so confused. "A shower, you ask? It could've been that, but no. That isn't the case here, Naruto" Sakura told him before starting to untie her morning coat. "I think a more appropriate thing to say is that I had a change of clothes" she said before removing it, letting the morning coat fall down from her shoulders and onto the floor.

Naruto's jaw dropped to the bed as he saw what his girlfriend was doing right now. A small stream of blood could even be seen running from his nose. His blue eyes widened in surprise. Sakura was now standing in the doorway, wearing a red lingerie with, red bra, red stockings and red panties. Her flat and toned stomach could be seen between the red bindings, and her curvy hips matched well with the lingerie. Her perky and round E-cup breasts hung well with the bra. Sakura's emerald eyes were filled with so much seduction and she even winked at Naruto, this arousing her stunned boyfriend.

"Well, how do I look?" Sakura asked him before turning around and bending over, showing Naruto her spectacular and heart-shaped ass. It was quite big and the red panties clung well to her cheeks and crack well. Sakura grabbed hold of both walls of the doorway, eventually looking over her shoulder to see Naruto, who was becoming more aroused by what he was seeing. "Isn't this a fine lingerie?" she then asked him teasingly.

"Sweet mother of all shinobis…" Naruto uttered out lowly as Sakura turned around to giggle at him. "Sakura…...when did you get that lingerie? It really suits you" the blonde-haired man asked her, his mind completely taken off.

Sakura began pretending she was struggling to remember it. "Hmm, I don't know. It was such a long time ago" she told him before smirking at Naruto. "Just kidding, I bought this near the beauty shop a week ago. They had just gotten those in red" she then told him while even adding a wink after her sentences.

Naruto felt turned on by her actions. However, something hit in his head when he thought about what Sakura had said to him earlier. "Hold on…this is what you wanted to show me? I mean…seriously?" he then asked her while getting up from the bed and walk towards her.

"For once, you got it right, Naruto. This is what I wanted to show you" Sakura replied before she leaned against her boyfriend while glancing up to him with seductive eyes. "And here I am standing before a handsome man such as you. I don't know what you think, but I really wanna have some fun with you. And this time, we do more than kissing and moaning" she then said before giving Naruto a kiss on his neck.

Naruto happily accepted it and proceeded to hold Sakura by her hips. He was beginning to feel incredibly aroused at the moment and Sakura could even tell it by caressing his crotch. He started to moan by feeling how she was teasing his hard member.

"Oh, Sakura…..I can't hold back much longer!" Naruto exclaimed before looking straight into Sakura's emerald eyes. "I want to fuck you so hard. Let me feel this pleasure" the blonde-haired man then demanded her.

Sakura kept pushing Naruto, until he had his back against the wall. Naruto took off his orange sweater, thus exposing his muscular chest and abs to her girlfriend. Not it was Sakura's turn to be turned on. Even now, the pinkette felt herself getting wet in those red panties of hers.

"Oh Naruto, I love when I see you and your body in all it's glory" Sakura exclaimed lustfully before moving down to her knees, thus standing right before Naruto's crotch area. She faced him seductively. "But I think someone down here needs some preparations before we can begin. Allow me to warm you up by sucking your cock" she told her and began moving down her boyfriend's pants and boxers.

The blonde-haired man groaned as he was standing there naked before his stunning girlfriend. But now that the pants and boxers were gone, Naruto's throbbing member was now free. His cock was hanging and had become hardened thanks to Sakura's efforts to seduce him.

"Mmmmm…..your cock is really big, Naruto" Sakura said and began stroking it with her tender fingers, making Naruto moan in pleasure. "Let me taste it while you stand still for a minute" she told him firmly and started to suck on his prick while playing with his balls and stroking the shaft.

"Oh God…..Sakura…" Naruto exclaimed while feeling Sakura suck and tease his cockhead before eventually taking the whole thing in her mouth. While this was very unusual for him to experience, Naruto had to admit that it felt so satisfying to him. His girlfriend, the one he had known since they were small children, was now giving him a blowjob. The blonde-haired man's head was about to explode. "Your mouth is amazing!" he then uttered out to Sakura.

Sakura amused to herself while sucking his dick, before pulling it out and smirk at her boyfriend mischievously. "So you enjoy this, perv? You enjoy when I suck your cock while playing with those balls of yours?" she then asked him teasingly while fondling with Naruto's hairy balls.

"Hey! Who're you calling a….AHHHHHH" Naruto moaned once again as Sakura was now sucking his balls while stroking his cock. He enjoyed Sakura's tender touch on his shaft while feeling her tongue lick her balls. "God…..you know when to tease me, you dirty girl!" he then said.

"A dirty girl, huh?" Sakura asked while putting his cockhead near her mouth, still smirking with a teasing expression. "Well you're a bad boy who deserves to get punished" she then told him before using her tongue to lick around Naruto's cockhead.

The blonde-haired man realized that Sakura had now the upper hand when it came to tempting the other. But he suddenly got an idea when he saw the perfect heart shape of Sakura's ass. She was on her knees and had stuck out her butt so that he could see it from above. Grinning to himself, Naruto decided to act on his naughty desires. He then began slapping Sakura's ass cheeks hard, watching as it gobbled and jiggled.

Sakura snapped as she felt the hard slap, and she even began moaning in pleasure as she felt Naruto do that. "Oh yeah, Naruto! Spank it with your hands!" the pinkette encouraged him with lust and Naruto only replied. Sakura felt wetness in her panties. "Harder! More! Spank my big ass with those strong hands of yours!" she then added, begging for Naruto to do repeat it over and over again.

Sakura soon finished her blowjob and she rose up to kiss Naruto on his mouth, to which he responded kindly with a kiss of his own. Sakura held around Naruto's hips while Naruto began rubbing Sakura's ass, which had been given small handprints due to the spanking.

"Did that feel great, Naruto? I definitely enjoyed tasting it" Sakura said with lust in her voice.

"That was amazing, Sakura" Naruto noted before taking note of Sakura beginning to undo her red bra, which only astounded Naruto. Soon, it fell on the floor and the young man was given a glimpse of Sakura's perky and round E-cup breasts. Naruto felt himself getting rock-hard with his cock by staring at her fine nipples. "Whoa…..your breasts…they're…." Naruto spoke up, but he was unable to find the right words to describe them.

Sakura formed a frown while crossing her arms. "What about my breasts? Is there something you want to say?" she then asked with a hint of gruffness in her voice.

Naruto snapped, knowing very well how Sakura was insecure about the size of her cleavage. In fact, he had overheard the conversations the girls had at the onsen, where Sakura would always be picked on due to her having what some called a flat chest. Sakura sometimes envied the curvier racks that Hinata, Ino and even Tsunade possessed. But Naruto didn't see it that way. Without hesitating, Naruto put his hands on Sakura's shoulders, looking into her emerald eyes. This made Sakura surprised.

"Sakura…...you know very well that your breasts are wonderful even to my standards. However, they're not the that makes me attracted to you" the blonde-haired man told her while Sakura listened her carefully. Naruto nodded his head in return. "Yeah, the thing that really makes me attracted to you…is your sweet personality" Naruto told her from the bottom of his heart.

Sakura was stunned as she heard this coming from Naruto. Even so, she still smiled, feeling very confident about herself and in her body. The pinkette was also happy how honest Naruto was, despite his goofy antics. Without even thinking, she immediately embraced him in a tight hug to which Naruto returned by hugging her back.

"Thank you…Naruto. I never knew how mature you could be when it came to this kind of talk" Sakura told her in a slightly emotional tone before glancing at him with a sweet smile. "So maybe I don't have big boobs. But I have a big butt!" Sakura said while grinning at him teasingly.

Naruto smiled at the young woman before him. "It can wait for my attention. I haven't played with your breasts yet" the blonde-haired man said and suddenly pushed Sakura so that she landed on her bed. She felt outraged over him doing this without a warning.

"Damn it, Naruto! Couldn't you at least have told me…." Sakura paused as Naruto suddenly found himself lying above her, her cheeks blushing once again.

"Sorry, Sakura…..I knew I should've done that" he said with his cheeky grin before lowering himself to Sakura's erect nipples. "Allow me to make up for my actions by giving you this" he then said and began teasing her nipples.

While feeling the enormous amount of pleasure coming from her boyfriend sucking and teasing her nipples, Sakura began fingering her wet snatch. She reached her hand down to her panties and began fingering herself as her breasts were worshipped.

"Oh yeah, right there! Suck those nipples, Naruto!" Sakura said, feeling like she was in a paradise right now.

Naruto mused to himself by seeing Sakura getting aroused of this. While sucking and kissing her right boob, Naruto used his fingers to tease and fondle her left boob. He himself felt the sexual pleasure build within him. "God, her tits are amazing! Just the perfect size to grab onto. Sakura's even hotter than those girls I've read from my dirty magazines" he noted to himself, not daring to mention to Sakura that he still had some perverted tendencies.

"Ah…..don't stop!" Sakura kept telling him, the pinkette still fingering her clit. But she was surprised when she could feel that Naruto was no longer sucking her breasts, which made her confused at first. But she soon felt Naruto moving away her hands. "Naruto…..are you…." Sakura looked and saw her boyfriend lying right before her crotch area.

"Yeah, Sakura. I noticed how wet you were while eating your nipples. Apparently, someone longs for my attention" Naruto said smugly before pulling down her red panties, thus revealing her crotch-area. There was a small tint of pink hair near her pussy and Naruto only felt more aroused as he watched how pretty and pink it really was. "Time that I gave your pussy some attention" he then told her before licking her cuntlips.

Sakura immediately moaned as she felt Naruto's tongue touch her clit. In fact, she even became more aroused than ever. The young woman held onto her bed as her boyfriend sucked and played with her womanhood. "Oh, you sneaky, dirty pervert! How I hate perverts!" she then said out loud, with so much sweetness in her voice.

"Man, you sure got a big mouth for being a dirty girl" Naruto noted at the use of language of Sakura. "Besides, you were the one masturbating yourself to me sucking you, so that makes you a pervert!" Naruto pointed out to her before continuing with the teasing.

"Just shut up and eat me!" Sakura told him, only for Naruto to happily do as she requested. The young pinkette was feeling so much pleasure building up within her. "Yeah…..suck my pussy!" she then exclaimed while moaning.

Naruto continued with teasing and sucking her womanhood, until he stopped when he realized Sakura pushing his head backwards. He looked up and saw Sakura getting off the bed, eventually starting to take off her lingerie. It amazed Naruto while she was doing this. Sakura smiled sexily as she stood there naked in all her glory. Her flat stomach and wide hips had now been exposed. Naruto could feel his manhood getting aroused by looking at her.

"Nice work there, Naruto. But I think I've had enough of having your tongue and fingers inside my pussy" the pinkette told him in a sultry voice.

This made Naruto raise an eyebrow in confusion, as he was still not getting it. "What do you mean by that?" he then questioned her.

Sakura had to smile at his gullible personality, as it was one of the most defining traits of Naruto. "Still as clueless as ever. I like that. Maybe I will just show you what I want" she told him before she got on the bed. She stood on all fours, thus pointing her taut backside at her aroused boyfriend. To tempt him even more, she began shaking her ass, which only made Naruto lose his mind. "I want you to fuck me from behind, Naruto. Only your tasty cock will bring me satisfaction to my pussy" she then told him teasingly.

"Sakura…..my God…." Naruto uttered, his cock getting rock hard from seeing what his girlfriend was doing.

Sakura smirked seductively by what she was seeing. "I may not have an impressive bust, but I do have a big butt. Admit it, you like big asses, that is why I'm your girlfriend" she told him while flirting with Naruto endlessly. But Sakura felt her pussy getting hungry for cock, so she shook her ass a little. "Now what are you waiting for? Come and get it, bad boy" she then dared him.

Naruto immediately responded and positioned himself right behind Sakura's rear end. Smirking, he grabbed hold of the pinkette's luscious buttocks, separating them so he could see what existed in the valley between those cheeks. The blonde-haired man started to nosebleed, yet he was not fainting. In fact, Naruto still had the conscience to continue this sexual activity.

"You're really wet down there, Sakura. I guess you really must be after me" the blonde-haired man told Sakura before grabbing hold of his erected shaft and moving it against Sakura's pussy. "You ready for this, dirty girl?" he then asked her while trying to sound flirty.

Sakura only moaned as she felt Naruto's cockhead enter her clit. "Bring it on, bad boy!" she then encouraged him. Naruto responded by pushing himself against her bubbly ass and Sakura exclaimed loudly in pleasure as she felt Naruto's dick moving between her pussy walls. "OHHH YEAHHHH! FUCK ME HARD, NARUTO!" she yelled while enjoying this feeling.

Naruto grunted while moving forward and backwards, so that his cock hit her G spot. His pelvis came into contact with her ass while doing it and it only made him more tempted to fuck her. Naruto grabbed hold of Sakura's wide hips.

"DAMN! YOUR PUSSY FEELS SO GOOD, SAKURA!" Naruto exclaimed while continuing moving against her. "IT'S AS IF IT SUCKS MY COCK TIL I EXPLODE!" he then added, the young man starting to feel so sexual on the inside.

"MMMMMMM, THEN I WILL MAKE SURE YOUR BALLS ARE DRIED UP!" Sakura then said while feeling the excitement. However, she only got more turned on as Naruto started to slap her butt cheeks by starting with her right. It was hard, yet she enjoyed it. "MMMM YEAH! SPANK ME MORE!" Sakura begged of him while holding onto the blanked underneath her.

Naruto grinned as he could see how Sakura enjoyed getting spanked. "You like getting spanked, huh? Then don't mind if I keep on doing that! Someone needs to punish you for the dirty girl you are!" he noted in his head and started swatting Sakura's other butt cheek.

"OH YEAH! KEEP SPANKING IT! SPANK MY BIG ASS UNTIL IT'S RED LIKE MY HEADBAND!" Sakura yelled, thus encouraging Naruto to only do it more.

As the couple was engaged in that kind of sexual activity, Naruto felt himself nearing his limit. He could feel it in his manhood. The pleasure was overbearing and even Sakura could feel it was well. As they kept pushing and having an orgasm of a lifetime, Naruto was feeling tensions rising in his dick.

"SAKURA! I'M GOTTA CUM!" Naruto called out to her. But Naruto knew that he could not do this in Sakura's womanhood, given that he wasn't wearing any protection. So he decided to let his girlfriend decide. "WHERE DO YOUW ANT ME TO CUM AT, BABY?!" he then asked out loud, his pelvis still hitting against Sakura's snatch.

"AHHHHHHHH! I WANT IT ON MY PUSSY AND ASS! I WANT IT ALL OVER THEM! COVER MY PUSSY AND ASS WITH YOUR CUM!" Sakura then called out to him, her voice filled with lust.

Taking his dick out, Naruto didn't have so much time as to even stroke it. Immediately after pulling out, he fired an enormous amount of cum on Sakura's ass crack, with the pinkette spreading them apart she that he could land some on her clit, as well as her pink asshole. Naruto was roaring like an animal as he did that.

"OHHHH GOOOOOOD, SAKURAAAAAAA!" he yelled as he unleashed his seeds on his girlfriend's ass. It was only a matter of time before the young shinobi himself felt orgasm taking hold on him. His cum managed to coat over Sakura's backside, and the young woman only moaned in pleasure as she felt it. Seeing what he had done, Naruto took a deep breath. He felt his entire body sweat. "Fucking hell…...that felt great…..." Naruto uttered out while panting between his words.

Sakura began rubbing all his cum on her coated cheeks, and she even tasted some of it with sucking her fingertips. The emerald-eyed woman moaned in satisfaction when tasting it. "Mmmmm….your cum tastes good, Naruto" she noted before turning around and dragging Naruto on to her bed, which only took Naruto by surprise.

The two lovers were lying sideways while facing one another. Naruto still felt aroused when seeing Sakura's body. Sakura also felt the same way as she watched his. The couple lied on the bed, kissing each other tenderly as they slowly felt themselves getting tired.

"Wow…..you're amazing, Sakura…..I mean, I never have seen this side of…" Naruto noted only to have Sakura put a finger before his lips, thus hushing him.

Sakura only giggled while she was doing this. "Just shut up and kiss me, stupid" she said and Naruto responded without hesitation. But as they were doing that, Sakura managed to utter something out of her mouth. "I love you…Naruto Uzumaki" she told him.

Naruto smiled as he faced her with a similar glance. "And I love you too…Sakura Haruno" he told her. The couple held onto one another as they drifted into sleep. This night would be known to them both as one of the best to have ever experienced.

* * *

 _Next day, at the Hyuuga mansion_

Inside Hinata's bedroom, the stunning and beautiful Hyuuga-heiress was lying in bed with her lover: her longtime teammate and friend Kiba Inuzuka. Yesterday, they had been on a date, which had resulted in them doing the most passionate any couple would do. These two made love to one another and for had sex inside her room. Both of these young lovers had been feeling so much pleasure building up inside of them when they did it. This even made the sleeping more comfortable.

Kiba was lying on his stomach. But to the small rays of daylight, he slowly began emerging from his dreams. But the young man truly woke up when he could feel something soft press against his back. It felt like someone was doing a massage on him. He eventually realized that it was Hinata. The stunning bluenette was using her voluptuous breasts to rub Kiba's back so tenderly. It really made Kiba open his eyes.

"Good morning" the sweet and caring voice came from Hinata, who was lying upon her boyfriend. She was looking at his face over his left shoulder and smiled as Kiba awoke from sleep. "I hope you slept well" she then said to him.

Kiba formed a smile as he could see the bright eyes of his girlfriend. "Hinata…...wow….I've never slept as good as this in my entire life" he then spoke up lowly. He also felt Hinata's breasts pushed against his back. "Heh. Giving me a boobmassage?" he then asked her teasingly.

Hinata giggled while her cheeks blushed red. "I wanted to make sure you had a perfect awakening. Did I do something wrong?" she then asked him.

"No, no. It felt perfect, Hinata. God, you're an amazing woman" he reassured her, causing Hinata to laugh at his statement. But he could soon notice Hinata getting off him and the bed, eventually moving to her closet to put on something on. Seeing this, Kiba decided to get dressed as well, only to be stunned as he saw Hinata stand before him, wearing nothing but light violet bra and panties. It made him slightly aroused. "Wow…you're so…sexy" he then uttered out lowly.

Hinata was still blushing and held her arms in a folded way. It was apparent that their intimate time together had made some changes to Hinata and she was worried whether she had taken it too far. Kiba could see that based upon the look on her face.

"About what happened last night, Kiba. I'm sorry if I acted very commanding and different to you. But yesterday, I felt so much pleasure that my mind couldn't be controlled" Hinata told him, only to have Kiba stand up before her, the young man being butt naked of course.

"Don't feel bad over it, Hinata. What we did yesterday, is something which is done by two people who are in love with each other. And you've no reason to deny your desires. If you felt pleasure, then it means you liked it" Kiba told her before he even gulped while thinking about his actions. "You know, I also seemed to lose control over myself yesterday. I mean, the animal within me took over because of the amount of pleasure I felt. But that is what's common when we engage in a sexual activity. It's all about making love…..as well as having fun" the brown-haired man added to his explanation.

"Oh, Kiba…...hearing this just makes me want to…." Before Hinata could say anything further, a knock came on the door. Both lovers snapped and Kiba immediately hid himself behind the couch while grabbing the nearby clothes. But nevertheless, Hinata responded, knowing better than to pretend she wasn't listening. "Who is it?" she then called out to whoever it was that is standing there.

"It is me, your father" the stern voice of Hiashi Hyuuga could be heard behind the door and both Hinata and Kiba snapped in fear as they heard his voice. Distress was slowly beginning to take hold on them. "Could you come out to the living room, please? We have something we wish to discuss" Hiashi then called out to Hinata.

The stunning bluenette knew that she could not do anything foolish to make his father mad. "Okay. I'll be out in a minute" Hinata said while standing near the door. "Byakugan!" she activated the Hyuuga clan's infamous Kekkei Genkai, hoping to see whether her father had left the corridor. To her surprise, he did and went towards the living room, where many members of the clan had already been gathered. Hinata smiled in relief. "Great, at least he's not near us. And nobody seems suspicious so far" she noted lowly.

Kiba had just put on his black clothes from the date yesterday and was feeling very distressed. "Shit! We probably overslept! I should've awoken earlier and snuck out of the mansion!" he cursed lowly, still feeling afraid of getting caught by Hiashi. By looking at Hinata, he eventually calmed down, yet he still was uncertain about how he was gonna make out of the mansion without getting spotted. "This is messed up! How the hell am I leave this place without getting noticed!? The mansion is crawling with angry Hyuuga clansmen!" he then asked lowly.

Hinata only smiled and moved to his side. "You don't need to sneak through the mansion, Kiba. There is another solution to this" the bluenette told her before standing by her bed. With Kiba's help, she pushed to a little, thus exposing a secret floor entrance, which only made Kiba stunned. Hinata smiled. "This is a secret passage way that is use in case there is fire at the mansion. It will take you underground and lead you to a hole. Once there, you will be outside the property of the Hyuuga clan as a whole" she then informed him.

Kiba didn't know what to say. "Man…...you really saved me now, Hinata" the brown-haired man noted only to see Hinata open the secret floor entrance, motioning for her to go down the stairs.

"You can thank me for this later. But right now, it would be best if you left. It's only a matter of time before my father discovers that something's amiss. Hurry" Hinata urged her, only to have her lips getting caught by Kiba. But this kiss only lasted three seconds, yet it was passionate. Having her cheeks blushing, Kiba grinned at her one more time before walking down.

"Thanks, Hinata. I'll talk to you later" Kiba said before he went down the small stairs and Hinata closed the floor entrance.

Kiba soon found himself in an underground passageway. But what really astounded him was the fact that there was light hanging on the walls of dirt. Yet despite this, Kiba felt somewhat relieved, as they helped him navigate through this dark passageway.

"Man, who knew that Hinata had a secret way like this. Almost like an emergency exit" Kiba noted while walking. "But then again, Hinata is the clan head's daughter, so it's only natural that she would be given something like this" the brown-haired man added to his statement.

But while thinking about Hinata, Kiba stopped. He looked back to see the way he had come from and it made him think about the stunning bluenette. However, he was also starting to feel worries for Hinata. Truth is, he wondered whether Hiashi had actually discovered about him sleeping with her earlier, given how they overslept in the morning. And then again, the Hyuugas could have spotted him by using Byakugan. But if that was the case, he would've been thrown out of the mansion earlier. Something did not make sense here.

The young man proceeded to walk through this underground passage. "I don't know what…...but I find it intriguing over the fact that none of the Hyuugas ever did any effort to wake Hinata up earlier. I thought they were all about order and progress" Kiba then noted while thinking over the matter. However, he seemed to gulp while thinking about him and Hinata having sex. "But sooner or later, Hinata's family will find out about what we did in her room. I can't imagine how pissed off Hiashi will become. He'll definitely come after my ass. And I gotta tell mom and Hana about that one day. But when? God, this is harder than I thought" the brown-haired man admitted while thinking about the consequences it would have on their families.

However, a burning determination was growing inside Kiba's soul and it reminded him about how he should be proud over to have become intimate with a stunning woman like Hinata. A cheeky grin crept on his face and it never vanished.

"Come on. It can't be that bad. I mean, this is like a prince and a princess that found love. Only in my case, it's a punk and a princess that found love. I can't deny my feelings for Hinata. Especially not after what we did yesterday. I still think about you Hinata" Kiba then noted while continuing walking.

But Kiba's attention was caught by a glimpse of light located in front of him. Seeing this made the young man grin and he immediately sprinted towards the light. This was without a doubt the exit of this hidden passageway.

"Man, that was fast! With this, I'll be out of the Hyuuga clan's property in no time! Nothing could go possibly wrong now! Freedom, here I come!" Kiba exclaimed with happiness as he jumped right out of the opening. But what he thought would take him to an open field soon turned out to be something much different. The exit looked like a giant pipe and what Kiba soon found himself over was a large lake. Kiba was filled with outrage. "WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU….." the young man yelled as he fell down towards the lake, eventually splashing. Given that he had failed to disocver it earlier, Kiba had failed to use his chakra to land on the water.

It was quite a loud splash. But Kiba soon began swimming to land, where he emerged from the lake soaking wet. The young man slumped his face as he stood near a tree to catch his breath. He could not believe what he just experienced as not only his clothes were wet, but also his hair and sandals. It soon made him boiling with anger. His feral instincts were now taking hold on him.

"WELL, THIS IS JUST FUCKING PERFECT! STUPID LAKE! STUPID SECRET PASSAGEWAY! ARGH, I WANNA BITE SOMEONE IN THE FACE! MOTHERFUCKER! MOTHERFUCKER! MOTHERFU…" the young man was throwing an angry tantrum and outburst over what he had been through, only to stop when he saw so many bypassers stare at him with wondering eyes. Kiba immediately snapped in embarrassment, as he had just made a fool out of himself in the park. Chuckling nervously to himself, Kiba bowed his head at them in an apologetic manner. "Oops…sorry…just practicing a line from a play…...I didn't mean to disturb any of you" he then told them with a very different voice while proceeding to walk away, his clothes still soaking wet.

* * *

 _On the walls of the Village Hidden in the Leaves_

The Fifth Hokage alongside Shizune were standing alongside Yugao Uzuki. But behind them stood members of the Shadow Squad, each of them carrying their masks that concealed their identities. But they also wore their identical black outfits that symbolized their membership in this top-secret branch of the ANBU Black Ops. Right now, the three ladies were now having a discussion amongst themselves when it came to what they were planning on doing today.

Sasuke was now standing alongside his fellow members of the Shadow Squad. In fact, he was standing beside Yamato, who also wore his mask to conceal his identity. Other notable members included Sai, Asami Nakano, Tatsuma Aburame, Tokuma Hyuuga, Ensui Nara and Shito Akimichi. They stood and waited as they heard what the three ladies were conversing about.

"Do you think they will be arriving there, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked the Hokage. "Are you certain they will take this threat seriously?" she then added with a question directed at her.

Tsunade glanced at her with her serious eyes. "They will, Shizune. I dispatched two messenger pigeons, each heading towards the Sand Village and the Mist Village. Sooner or later, they will realize how important it is to put a stop to these terrorists" the blonde-haired woman answered firmly.

Shizune bowed her head in return. "I understand" she told her superior before taking her glance at Yugao. "Is the Shadow Squad prepared, Yugao? You know this mission will not be an easy task" she then asked the purple-haired woman.

"We all know that, Shizune. And truth be told, some of us may not even make out of this alive" Yugao replied with a serious tone in her voice. "But we can't stand on the sidelines and let the enemy do as he pleases. Things have changed. Unless those terrorists are stopped, they could become a greater danger to the world" she then added.

Tsunade had to smile while putting a hand on Yugao's right shoulder. "We are all grateful for your willingness to do this. You and the Shadow Squad will be remembered for your bravery" the Hokage told her before forming a slight frown with her mouth. "However, it remains to see whether the Interrogation Squad and the few medics joining you will make it out of this as well" the blonde-haired woman then said.

"I'm confident that they're also prepared for this mission, Lady Tsunade. They will be needed in case someone gets seriously injured" Shizune insisted to the Hokage, before taking notice of the medical ninjas arriving. "Speak of the devil, here they are" she then exclaimed with a bright smile of her own.

Seven members of the Medic Corps could be seen arriving before the three ladies. They were Kusushi, Ugai, Mogusa, Oyone, Kito, Migaki and Iyashi. All these medics bowed before their superiors before Iyashi stepped forward. It was apparent that he had been appointed to lead this group of medics to accompany the Shadow Squad with their mission.

"Hail, Lady Tsunade. We are prepared and ready to head for the Land of Waves" Iyashi told the Hokage. "While we don't know how many medics will be accompanying the Grim Guard or the Divine Division, I am confident that they won't neglect to send medics. A combined force such as the Triple Entente will require more medics than us seven" he then added with an explanation.

Tsunade nodded her head in approval. "Excellent. I am glad that you and these six have answered the call. You have no idea how grateful I am to you" she told the group of medics before letting out a deep sigh. "As much as I would like to dispatch Sakura on your group, I cannot risk having her away in case another terror attack unfolds in the Leaf Village. That is why I am putting my faith in you" she then told them.

The seven medics nodded their heads in respect. "We won't fail you, Hokage. You have our word" Iyashi insisted to her with a smile.

"I see that everyone has arrived" the stern and boasting voice came from none other than Ibiki Morino, Commander of the Interrogation Squad. He along with his cohorts arrived right before the Hokage and her associates. Ibiki smiled as his eyes met Tsunade's. "We're all set and ready to go, Lady Tsunade. I've gathered the perfect team of shinobis that will help us catch those goddamn terrorists who cowardly disrupted a wedding. Those bastards will know the true meaning of pain once we've caught them" he then said while gritting his teeth over thinking about the assault.

Tsunade smirked. "Glad to see you being enthusiastic about it, Ibiki. Quite a team you have assembled" she remarked while taking a glance at each of the members, who were all dressed in the outfit used by members of the Interrogation Squad while wearing a black coat. Those members were Tonbo Tobikate, Shimon Hijiri, Mawashi Dokuraku, Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, Iwashi Tatami, Mozuku and Ino Yamanaka. So far, Ino was the only female member of the Interrogation Squad, yet she was considered one of Ibiki's favorite cohorts. "With you accompanying the Shadow Squad, you will be a unstoppable force against criminals" the Hokage then added to her own amusement.

Ibiki only smirked while hearing this. "I took the liberty to "loan" assistance from Kotetsu and Izumo their helpfulness, given how valuable they are as shinobis" he told her before glancing at Ino with a more soft-mannered expression on his face. "I know it was difficult to do this, but I also needed Ino to accompany us on this mission as well. Her talents are extraordinary" he then said.

Ino sighed deeply as she heard this. "Come on, you don't have to treat me like I'm your girl or something" the blondie noted in her thoughts. However, Ino managed to look past Tsunade and onto the members of the Shadow Squad lining up and prepared to go. She searched them until she could spot the one she definitely knew was Sasuke. "So there you are. Nice getup, Sasuke" she noted in her thoughts while taking a glance at the masked raven-haired man.

Sasuke had only been quiet while listening to this speech taking place on the wall. He wore his bird-like mask, which concealed his face. But even so, he could see through it and took notice of Ibiki arriving at the scene. A deep frown was formed as he saw the stern shinobi standing there.

"Great. He will also join us. Looks like I'll be surrounded by idiots" Sasuke noted in his head while also glancing at each of the members standing with him. Once his eyes caught a glimpse of Ino, he was slightly surprised to see her dressed in a black jacket like those of the Interrogation Squad. "I'm surprised that the Interrogation Squad has asked you to join them. I mean, are you really that resourceful as they say you are?" he then noted in his head while watching the blonde-haired woman standing there.

Tsunade fixed a bright expression while motioning for all those present for the meeting to stand up and watch her closely. It was apparent that the Hokage wanted to deliver them a final message before they departed for the Land of Waves.

"Listen up, brothers and sisters of the Leaf. All of you will be embarking on a mission that will put you all to the test. But know that all the citizens of this village will be grateful for the sacrifices you make by doing this" the Hokage told them loud and clear. "On behalf of them all, I wish you the best of luck. My only hope is not that you succeed in stopping those terrorists. But it's also that you all return some safely. With so many brave shinobi lives wasted on the world war, we cannot afford to lose more lives. That is why I am asking you all to return home safely. Nothing else pains me the most than having to bury valuable and benevolent shinobis such as yourself!" Tsunade concluded her speech, much to the cheer and joy of the large gathering before her.

While the cheering went on, Ibiki, Yugao and Iyashi stood before the Hokage and faced the gathering with smiles on their faces. Since Yugao was the Commander of the Shadow Squad, she stood in the middle. She could also be considered the leader of this entire operation. But once the group had rendezvoused with the Grim Guard and the Divine Division, she would have to share the title of leadership with the commanders of those two covert groups.

"This is it! We are now to head to the Land of Waves by crossing the Great Naruto Bridge to reach the island nation. Once there, we will rendezvous with the Grim Guard and the Shadow Squad by a warehouse at the docks. Once there, we will get to know our allies better and then plan our assault on the Island of Tides" Yugao explained while pulling out her sword and lifting it up in the air. "So let us go, brothers and sisters! Let us show the Crimson Dragon and his cowardly cohorts the consequences of those committing terrorists acts on innocent people! Rest assured, he will be brought to justice, as he can't avoid it! He will have no chance in avoiding the combined might of the Triple Entente! That is why I say to you all standing here: LET US PROTECT THE LEAF VILLAGE AND THE WILL OF FIRE!" the purple-haired woman said, thus concluding her speech.

So many cheers could be heard as Yugao was finished with her speech. She was quite the speaker and it had already filled so many shinobis with passion. Yet despite this, there were a few who remained silent amidst this noise. And Sasuke was one of them. The raven-haired man was still thinking about what he really desired from this trip. He would find the Crimson Dragon and confront him once again. If possible, he would also expose this hooded terrorist's identity.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: Another great chapter completed. Like the previous one, it also contained a lemon scene, this time between Naruto and Sakura. I think it will be a while before I write down such scenes. But on the other hand, I will write on those shinobis staying in the Leaf Village and what they will be doing. I also want to write on Sasuke's mission to this Island of Tides. We will also get to see who the commanders of the Divine Division are and what members they have. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. See you around and thank you for reading my story.**


	12. Meeting the Unknown

**Author's note: This chapter will feature some plot twists. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Meeting the Unknown**

 _Inuzuka home, Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

Kiba Inuzuka had been walking through the park and the village while being soaking wet. The brown-haired man had to avoid glaring back at the villagers who stared at him in surprise. But could he blame them? His entire clothes were wet and it was an unusual sight to see someone walk in the streets wearing wet clothes. Therefore, such reactions was to be expected, at least from his point of view.

The young man was slumping his face as he kept walking to his home. "Next time I visit someone, I'll bring extra clothes" he muttered to himself as he kept moving, as his sandals were wet as well. They left him tracks along the way. Kiba sighed as he began focusing on what really was important to him. "But then again, wet clothes are the least of my worries. I gotta be open to mom and Hana about where I've been" he then remarked.

When he stood outside the Inuzuka home, Kiba was surprised when he saw Akamaru running straight towards him. Yet despite this, the young man immediately smiled by seeing his partner coming towards him. He sat on his knees and happily received Akamaru.

"Hey there, buddy! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Kiba exclaimed while Akamaru licked his face so intensively that he almost fell on his back. "Whoa…take it easy, Akamaru. I wasn't gone for long!" Kiba added while enjoying and hugging his canine partner.

But Kiba's reunion with Akamaru was short-lived, as he could hear someone approach behind him with a cough. Looking past Akamaru, Kiba could see his older sister and mother standing by the door with their arms crossed. Something suggested to Kiba that they were dissatisfied with him. But Kiba simply grinned at them smugly in return.

"Hey there, mom, sis. Sorry for being late" the brown-haired man told them.

"Don't give us that look, Kiba! Do you know how worried we were when he discovered you were not home yesterday!?" Hana snapped at him, her voice filled with disbelief.

Tsume only gritted her teeth in annoyance. "But that's not only it. Just look at yourself! What the hell happened to you!? You're soaking wet, for God's sake!" she exclaimed in her usual bad-tempered fashion.

Kiba got up on his feet and glanced at those two with a deep frown. This time, he did not feel like wasting time arguing with his mother and sister. The brown-haired man knew what he had to do, as much as he felt reluctant to do so.

"You wanna know what I did? Fine! Because guess what. Yesterday, I was on a date with Hinata" he then spoke up, his face even hinting to defiance.

Hearing this stunned both Tsume and Hana. "A date…with Hinata?" Hana asked, only for Kiba to nod his head as a yes in return. The young woman only gasped as she saw her younger brother's confirmation. "Kiba…what were you…" she was interrupted by the Kiba's voice.

"Spare me your bullshit-exclamations, Hana! You know damn well that me and Hinata have been keeping in touch with each other ever since I talked to her that day!" he snapped at her. "And for the record, Hinata was the one asking me out and what we did is between us and us only! So both of you can stop putting your noses in where you shouldn't!" he then added while making sure his sister and mother heard what he was saying.

While Hana was astounded by Kiba's continued defiance, Tsume was not impressed. The brown-haired woman even showed her feral growl towards her son as she was angered by what she was hearing from her son. "You slept at the Hyuuga mansion!? Then it means you and Hinata had…" the middle-aged woman was outraged over the things her son had done. In fact, she could see Kiba simply grin at her cockily, something which only infuriated her. Tsume angrily grabbed Kiba by the collar of his sweater and looked him in the eye. "YOU FUCKING PIG! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!? YOU'VE SCREWED THINGS OVER BETWEEN US AND THE HYUUGAS!" she yelled at him.

Despite seeing his mother in her angry self, Kiba remained defiant. As a matter of fact, he even showed his mother away from him and unleashed his own feral anger towards his mother.

"DON'T LECTURE ME, MOM! WHAT ME AND HINATA DID YESTERDAY, WE'LL NEVER REGRET IT! YOU CAN'T JUDGE US, SHE CAN'T JUDGE US AND HIASHI CAN't JUDGE US" Kiba snapped while mentioning Tsume, Hana and Hinata's father Hiashi. Tsume still glared at him angrily over hearing how reckless her son behaved. "AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO LECTURE ME ABOUT LOVE!? YOU CHASED OFF DAD, WHICH MUST BE REALLY TERRIFIC FOR SOMEONE WITH A BAD TEMPER SUCH AS YOU TO ACCOMPLISH!" the brown-haired man then said.

Tsume's feral eyes only narrowed further as she heard what come out of his son's mouth. "SHUT YOUR MOUTH, BRAT! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPAENED BETWEEN US!" she hit back.

"YEAH, BECAUSE YOU NEVRE TELL US, DESPITE THE FACT YOU ARE OUR MOTHER!" Kiba snapped, his anger taking hold on him once again.

Hana suddenly stepped in between them. "Enough! Just stop, both of your!" the brunette called out to them while trying to separate Tsume and Kiba from going at each other. She looked at the entrance and saw Gaku standing there. "Gaku, a little help here, please?" she asked the clansman of the Inuzuka clan, who had just been observing the verbal confrontation between his cousin and Kiba.

The middle-aged man with brown facial hair stepped in to help. He began holding Tsume by her shoulders, trying to pull her away from this confrontation. "Easy there, cuz! Go inside and have a drink or something" Gaku encouraged her while slowly pulling her away. He looked at Hana. "You keep an eye on Kiba, would ya? Me and her will have a talk over this" he then told the young woman, who simply nodded her head in return.

Tsume still had her angry glare towards her son, yet she soon sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Kiba was still watching her with narrowed eyes, the young man still uncertain about what his mother might do next. To his surprise, Tsume turned around and walked inside, with Gaku accompanying her. This only left Kiba alone with Akamaru and Hana. He could see that she was still glancing at him dispassionately while having her arms crossed.

"Tch, I'm starting to regret ever coming back now. The only thing that I missed was Akamaru" Kiba said while smiling at his canine partner, who wiggled his tail happily. The young man leaned down to hug Akamaru, who only licked him back.

Hana sighed deeply. "It's not that we're worried about you, Kiba. We're worried about the safety of the Leaf Village" she said, thus forcing Kiba to glance up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you understand? When word gets to Hiashi Hyuuga that you and his daughter had sex in the mansion, who knows what his reaction will be. Another stalemate will occur between our clans. This is your doing, Kiba. And now, it will come back to bite not just you, but also the rest of us Inuzukas in the ass!" the young brunette sternly told him.

"Stalemate this, stalemate that, blah, blah blah! I don't get why you're so afraid of that miserable goat Hiashi, anyway" Kiba remarked while feeling irritated when hearing what her sister said. He rose up to stand on his feet. "I've always been there for Hinata, not Hiashi. He's just a deadbeat dad who only cares about…." Kiba was interrupted by the voice of his sister.

"Alright. I get it! I know how you feel about him! He is an arrogant bastard. But like it or not, Hiashi is Hinata's father. That you must recognize" Hana said, only to sigh while forming a slight smile on her face, which somehow surprised Kiba. "But if you slept with Hinata, how were you able to sneak out of the mansion undetected?" the brunette questioned him.

Kiba pointed to himself, which he actually pinpointed to the fact he was wet. "Well, here you have the answer. Hinata revealed to me a secret emergency exit in her bedroom. It led to an underground passageway, which means I was under the mansion while using that way. But little did I know, this emergency exit led me straight to a giant lake near the park. And that's how I ended up getting wet" the brown-haired man explained while detailing the story.

Hana had to chuckle when hearing Kiba's story, which only made him slump his face in irritation. "Quite a story you're telling me here, Kiba. I don't even know what to say in return" she admitted to him.

"Oh, shut up, already!" Kiba barked as he heard this. He then walked up towards the door with Akamaru tagging along. "Anyway, I could you help me find some new clothes? I gotta get rid of those clothes in the bathroom" he requested of her.

"Not so fast there, little brother!" Hana's voice made Kiba stop in his tracks. The young woman walked up to him. "Remember, Goro will be visiting us later. So try not to get into a conflict with him" she reminded her brother before entering the door.

Sighing deeply, Kiba entered the door and made his way towards the bathroom. "Fine! I'll try to play it cool. But make sure you keep a better leash on him as well!" he replied loudly to Hana before opening the door to the bathroom and entering it.

Meanwhile, Tsume and Gaku were sitting in the living room, with some of the dogs lying near them. It would seem that Tsume had managed to calm herself down and Gaku was relieved to see his cousin had done so.

"It's okay, Tsume. We'll figure something out" the man with the facial hair insisted to her.

Tsume simply groaned in return. "No. It's not okay, Gaku. I don't know what to do with that punk" she told him while feeling a hint of distress in her voice. "And just when me and Hiashi had started to find chemistry between each other. Now we'll be back at where we started" the brown-haired woman added.

Gaku showed understanding towards his cousin in return. "Yes, it is terrible. But the Hyuuga clan must be wise enough to realize that a stalemate between them and us is not in the Leaf Village's best interest. We will have to have a dialogue with them once again" the brown-haired man told her before he began thinking about something. "Unless the Hyuugas know about what Kiba did in the mansion" he then thought.

"Spare me your optimism, Gaku. I would rather focus on what's happening now than trying to sugarcoat it" Tsume blurted out, only for the middle-aged woman to sigh after she said this. "I'm sorry that I sound pissed. But Kiba said something that made me even more furious. It was about his father. Damn boy, don't know a thing what he's talking about!" she then revealed to him with a slight emotional face.

"I see" Gaku told her lowly while putting a hand on her shoulder. "But don't let it get to you, Tsume. Kiba only said that because of his short temper. And besides, we all know what happened between you and Yasei. He was only young and barley able to understand it" the man with the facial hair told his cousin.

Tsume glanced at her cousin with a slight smile, knowing the words Gaku spoke were true. "Thanks for the encouragement, Gaku. I really needed it. However, I can't focus on Kiba and his stupidity" she thanked him before rising up from the couch. Now, she was back to having her usual serious expression on her face. "Now I'll be having a chat with Hana regarding Goro's visit later. If you see Kiba, tell him we can have this talk about his actions the next day. Right now, I got more important things to focus on than his horny desires" she told Gaku before exiting the living room.

Gaku only mused to himself by seeing the cousin he always knew. "Sure thing, Tsume. Let me know wherever you need me" he told her loud for Tsume to hear.

* * *

 _Inside the Haruno home_

Naruto and Sakura was sleeping so tight on the queen-sized bed. Having gone out on a date and then enjoyed some time together at Sakura's home, the couple had probably experienced its most spectacular night ever. The amount of pleasure and excitement they had done yesterday had really left them feeling comfortable in each other's embrace. Right now, Naruto was sleeping so sweet, as he was still dreaming. Sakura was lying sideways against her boyfriend.

But the pinkette's emerald eyes suddenly started opening as she could feel the rays of sunshine shine upon her. The young woman woke up and glanced at an alarm clock on her nightstand. That alarm clock was actually something Naruto had given to her as a gift. But problem was, it never rang. This led Sakura to believe that this was no alarm clock, but just an ordinary clock. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, Sakura stretched her arm over her sleeping boyfriend and grabbed the alarm clock. She rubbed her eyes once again to get a clear view of what time it was.

"Hmmmm…...what time is it now?" she wondered her emerald eyes finally caught glimpse of what time it was. Sakura widened in shock as she saw what it was. "AH! 10 O'CLOCK! NO…THE MEETING IN THE HOPSITAL!" she yelled out loud when realizing that she and Naruto had overslept. At first, she thought she had awoken up early in the morning, but that was not really the case here.

The pinkette quickly got off bed and grabbed the nearest clothes she could find. Meanwhile, Naruto was still sleeping, his mind drifted in another universe. Not even the alarm clock had managed to wake him up. But Sakura managed to put on a bra and panties, she quickly headed back to bet to wake up her boyfriend.

"NARUTO! WAKE UP! WE OVERSLEPT!" Sakura yelled while shaking her sleeping boyfriend at the same time.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, yet he was still feeling so sleepy and laidback. "Sakura…good morning" he said to her while smiling so sweetly.

"CUT THE CRAP, STUPID! WE OVERSLEPT! WE'RE LATE FOR THE MEETING!" Sakura told him, yet Naruto was still in his own world of dreams and cuteness. "THE MEETING AT THE HOPSITAL YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO ATTEND, ALONGSIDE SHIZUNE AND LADY TSUNADE!" the pinkette then added to him.

When hearing Tsunade and Shizune being mentioned, Naruto's blue eyes immediately snapped in shock. He even screamed in fear as he remembered what Sakura had told him about during their date yesterday.

"AHHHHHHHH! WE'RE LATE! WE'RE LATE!" Naruto yelled as he got off bed to put on some clothes. "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!? WHY DOESEN'T YOUR ALARM CLOCK RING!?" he then asked while putting on his pants.

Sakura slumped her head while grabbing the "alarm clock" to show him. "BECAUSE…...THIS ISN'T AN ALARM CLOCK! IT'S JUST AN ORDINARY CLOCK!" she told him sternly.

Naruto was surprised after hearing what his girlfriend just told him. He even formed a cheeky grin as he thought about it. "Ah…now that explains why it was so cheap at the store. I never really gave it much thought" he remarked to his own amusement. But Naruto was in for a surprise as Sakura threw his black sweater on him. He lifted it up to glance at her. "Hey! Why did you…" the blonde-haired man stopped speaking as he could Sakura's fiery eyes burn at him, which only made Naruto intimidated.

"JUST CAN IT, NARUTO! WE'RE LATE FOR THE MEETING!" Sakura told her as she had just put on some pants and sandals. This made Naruto take this seriously, and he put on his black sweater. Sakura put on a red headband on her head. But right now, she seemed to have calmed herself a little. "We don't have time to take a shower! Our priority is that we meet up with Lady Tsunade and Shizune at the hospital. We were supposed to be there while they were at the gates of the village to wish luck to the Shadow Squad on their mission!" she then began explaining.

Naruto had managed to put on all of his clothes, including his forehead-protector. But Naruto headed down towards the entrance door, he was also beginning to think about Sasuke and the fact that he was heading out with the Shadow Squad on their mission. Somehow, the blonde-haired man wished that he would've been present at the gate to wish him good luck. But would Sasuke actually approve of it? No. Naruto remembered what Sasuke had told him yesterday. The raven-haired man had encouraged him to spend time with Sakura and have fun with her. Sasuke did not wish for Naruto to become too fixated on him.

A smug grin crept on Naruto's face as he thought about his longtime friend. "I wish you luck the best of luck, Sasuke. I know you can make it out of the battlefield" he then noted in his head while thinking about him.

Sakura walked down the stairs and headed towards Naruto quickly. She was all set to go out, wearing her nurse coat. Sometimes, Naruto had to admire seeing his girlfriend dressed like that. It made him feel proud over to have been in a relationship with a spectacular woman such as her.

"Are you ready? I know a shortcut to the hospital, but we'll have to run if we're gonna make it" the pinkette told him while smiling slightly.

Naruto simply nodded his head as a yes. "Absolutely. We best get going. But believe me, Sakura. Grandma Tsunade will probably forgive us for arriving late" he told her.

Sakura raised an eyebrow in return. "What? How can you say that?" she asked him, only for her boyfriend to exit the door quickly. Not wanting to waste time thinking about the subject, Sakura followed Naruto out of the door. They had to reach the hospital in time.

* * *

 _Inside Tenten's weapon shop_

Tenten was on her job and once again waiting for customers to arrive. The brunette sighed deeply as she realized that no one came. It made her bored. "Man, there's gotta be weapon-buyers somewhere in this village!" she exclaimed while resting her head on the counter in boredom.

Ever since the incident at the Aburame Clan Wedding, Tenten was refocused on her job at the weapon shop. But there was another factor that led to her in focusing on the job. During the celebration was interrupted, she had managed to have a few words with Lee over their recent disagreements. Tenten had regretted being so harsh on her boyfriend. But Lee also felt he also had some faults when it came to their relationship. The young man had admitted to Tenten about how it was time for him to look forward and stop being so amateurish and immature and start growing up as an adult.

Hearing these words, coupled with her regret over being harsh on Lee, convinced Tenten to give her boyfriend a chance to change himself. But to change, he would have to do that on his own and not because of another person telling him. She wanted Lee to see the flaws of his behavior on his own. But in the end, the couple soon agreed to go out on a date, something they had not done in a long time. But which day they would go out, was not yet decided.

Tenten's head suddenly shot up from the counter as he could hear the bell ringing from the door being opened. As soon as she saw who it was, the brunette's eyes widened in surprise. Standing there was Rock Lee, her boyfriend. He was simply smiling at her in his usual self while waving a hand.

"Hey there, Tenten. Mind if I stay here for a minute?" he asked him.

But Lee was in for a surprise as Tenten suddenly got off her seat by the counter and ran straight towards him, her arms stretching out to embrace him. The young man was caught in the brunette's arms and it astounded him at first. However, Lee only returned the hug, knowing better than to reject her.

"Lee…..." Tenten's voice could be heard in an emotional tone, hinting that she was happy to see him. "I'm so happy to see you!" she then said while looking into his eyes, her own eyes filled with small tears.

Her boyfriend only widened his own fuzzy eyes as he saw the emotional state she was in. But Lee simply smiled while putting his hands on her shoulders. This actually made Tenten surprised and she glanced at her boyfriend with widened eyes.

"It's alright, Tenten. I'm here for you. And I feel a lot better than how I did a couple of days ago" Lee told her before revealing something underneath his jounin vest. The young brunette was stunned to see that Lee's injury was now gone. Lee nodded his head at her. "That's right. The injury has faded away. I'm perfectly fine" he said, before leaning his face closer to Tenten's, which astounded her. "By the way, I must thank you for what you did at Shino's wedding. I'm glad that you helped me prevent from rushing towards those terrorists. It made me realize what to really take care off. And that is why I'm thanking you." he said to her before delivering a soft kiss on Tenten's forehead.

The young woman was surprised to see a different kind of tone in Lee's voice. It sounded so different. That and Lee's kiss only made her embrace him tightly. "Lee…..I need you at my side" she then told him as honest as she could.

Lee only smiled in return while patting her head lightly. "I also need you at my side, Tenten. As a matter of fact, I came here to have a talk about this date of ours" he then revealed to him, which made Tenten pay close attention to him. The black-haired man only smiled as he saw this. "Yes, we did have a discussion about this at Shino's wedding. But due to the celebration being interrupted, we didn't have the opportunity to plan it fully. That's why I'm here to let you have a say in it, not just me" the black-haired man told her.

Tenten could not help but to smile sweetly as she saw what her boyfriend was doing. "Oh, Lee. I just thought about the same thing. And finally, when things were starting to get boring on the job" she told him before she thought about something. "Now about which day, I would say that I'm available tomorrow. My time at the job is shorter than the others. What about you?" the brunette asked him.

"Same here, Tenten. I made some adjustments with regards to the shift. I say we go out tomorrow" Lee said to her before scratching the back of his neck. "And tell me, Tenten. What do you wanna do on this date? This time, I want to do something that you will also enjoy, not just me" the black-haired man then asked her with a hint of enthusiasm in his voice.

Hearing this made Tenten think deeply. She was rather unsure of what to decide on. However, she immediately fixed a bright smile at her boyfriend. "How about you and me just go to the new bar that opened up here recently. Trust me, it will be fun" the brunette insisted to Lee.

Lee only nodded his head in reply. "You mean the bar called Sake & Shochu? That sounds like a terrific choice, Tenten! I mean, as far as I know, we've never been to a bar on our dates. I heard there's also dancing happening at that place" Lee remarked as he was actually impressed by Tenten's suggestion.

"Then that settles it! Tomorrow in the afternoon, we'll go out and head to Sake & Shochu! But if it's too short, then we could spend some time at one of our places" the brunette said.

"But that depends on whether we're up to it, of course" Lee remarked while chuckling in amusement. He then put a hand on her shoulder once again, smiling at his girlfriend. "And let me be the one to pick you up for the date. You don't have to rush with arriving at a specific place. And if we do that, you'll be given plenty of time to prepare yourself for the date. I really can't imagine how gorgeous really are, Tenten" he then told her.

Tenten's cheeks blushed as she heard those words. Truth be told, she had never seen Lee act so flirty with him. But on another note, she liked Lee's suggestion. Smiling, she softly held Lee's hands and looked up to him with a smug grin. "Very well. Then I say we do this, my knight in green armor" she said before kissing Lee on his lips. The young man was himself surprised by what he was seeing, yet he returned the kiss by holding around her waist. As they parted, Tenten turned around to go to the counter, but not before looking over her shoulder to glance at Lee. "Come pick me up tomorrow, handsome. I'll be waiting for you" she said before giving him a wink.

Lee's heart was pounding, as he was filled with so much love for his longtime teammate. Without even thinking, Lee lifted his thumb up while forming a confidential grin with his mouth. His bright eyes even beamed with passion in front of his girlfriend.

"AS YOU SAY, TENTEN! YOU HAVE MY WORD AS YOUR LOVER!" he exclaimed with pride before he exited the weapon shop.

Being stuck alone in the weapon shop, Tenten could not help but to feel so incredibly enamored as she sat and thought about what she and Lee had just been through right now. The young brunette had never seen this side of Lee before. And probably for the first time, he never acted stupid or ignorant while talking to Tenten. Thinking about her boyfriend only turned her on even more.

"Lee…...since when did you become this person?" she wondered, still remembering about the conversation she and Lee had have at the wedding. "I really wanna see more of that side of you. But first, I'll have to make some concessions as well. Trust me, Lee. This date is gonna rock your socks off!" she then added to her thoughts while thinking about what she could contribute to this relationship.

* * *

 _At the gates of the Leaf Village_

Shikamaru Nara and Choucji Akimichi were now accompanying Temari to the gates of the Leaf Village. It was time for her to return home to the Sand Village. As much as it pained the couple, both Shikamaru and Temari knew that they would have to prioritize their jobs above this relationship between them. But as they neared the gates, Shikamaru couldn't help but to sound insecure when Temari was about to leave.

"You sure you don't want anyone accompanying you? With what happened at Shino's wedding, who knows what those terrorists are capable of?" Shikamaru asked while feeling concerned for Temari's safety on her journey.

Temari simply glanced at him with a smirk. "Hmmm…..don't tell me you underestimate my abilities" she said with a slightly stern voice.

"No! I'm not underestimating you! It's just that I'm worried if anything will happen to you on your journey" Shikamaru pointed out to her, yet Temari was still glancing at him cockily. The man with the ponytail gritted his teeth in frustration. "For crying out loud! Aren't I allowed to have a legitimate concern for your safety on a journey like this!?" he then asked her out loud.

Chouji tried to make him calm himself. "Slow down, Shikamaru! You're a making a scene! here" the chubby man encouraged him to refrain from using these outbursts.

Temari sighed in annoyance from what she was seeing here. "Geez, don't you ever grow up? And I thought Kankuro was more immature" she noted to herself, much to Shikamaru's own outrage. But she soon fixed a smile while approaching her boyfriend. To Shikamaru's surprise, she began patting his cheeks in a sweet and gentle manner. "There, there. That oughta calm you down to your senses" the dark blonde-haired woman said while continuing this silly thing with Shikamaru.

However, Temari was stunned as he could feel Shikamaru's hands on her shoulders and he actually faced her with a smile of his own. Temari's hand landed on Shikamaru's own shoulders. The couple was now gazing into each other's eyes, hoping to remember each other's faces since they would be away from one another.

"Just return home safe. That's all I ask of you" Shikamaru then told Temari from the bottom of his heart. While astounded by the tone of his voice at first, Temari eventually smiled as she kissed Shikamaru in a passionate way. The kiss soon ended and they glanced at each other once again. "Thanks for the kiss…I felt like I needed it" he then told her.

Temari only giggled to herself as she heard Shikamary say those words. "Very well, then I best take off now. I'll let you know when I've arrived at the Sand Village. Give Yoshino my regards" she told him before she took a brief glance at Chouji, who nodded his head weakly in return. "And you give my regards to the others, Chouji" she then told him.

While Shikamaru was dumbfounded, Chouji only chuckled nervously as he heard this. "I'll do what I can" the chubby man told her in return. Shikamaru and Chouji waved at the Sand kunoichi as she disappeared from their sights as soon as she walked into the nearby woods. After finishing waving, Chouji could hear Shikamaru sigh, which only surprised him. "You feeling okay, buddy? I understand you're worried about Temari, but she's a strong…." Chouji was interrupted by the voice of his comrade.

"It's not about that, Chouji. And trust me, I know how strong she is. When it comes to kunoichis, Temari is the woman you really don't wanna mess with" the young head of the Nara clan said while scratching the back of his head. "It's just that I've noticed how much energy she takes from me a day. But despite that, I actually feel happy. Temari's an amazing woman, she's someone worth wasting energy" he then told his longtime friend.

"Ohhh…I see. Well, I don't know what to say. But I sometimes think you and I are much alike when it comes to having personal relationships with women" Chouji told him while he was thinking about something. "It's been a while since me and Sanae talked. I wonder if she would be open to see me again" the chubby man noted while thinking about his girlfriend from the Hidden Stone Village.

Shikamaru had to glance at Chouji as he said that. Being one of the Leaf Village's top politicians, Shikamaru had been informed about many things, including the formation of the Triple Entente between the Leaf, Sand and Mist Villages. However, that information was exclusive to those politicians and diplomats that the three Kages worked with. And while the Triple Entente was an alliance and cooperation, it did not include the Cloud and Stone Villages. That's where Shikamaru's concerns started to take hold om him again.

"Hey Chouji. Can I ask you something?" Shikamaru asked his friend, who only smiled at him in return.

"Sure, what is it?" Chouji replied in his usual and friendly mood.

Shikamaru swallowed a gulp before opening his mouth to speak. "It's about Sanae. Forgive me if I sound like a weirdo or something, but what does she do for a living in the Stone Village?" he asked Chouji, trying not to sound so suspicious

But the chubby man immediately grinned with satisfaction as he heard what Shikamaru just asked of him. "I'm glad you asked, Shikamaru. From what I gather from our trips together, she's more than a kunoichi. In fact, Sanae is a great cook and a potter. I remember seeing one of the pots she made. It was so terrific. But her cooking was even more terrific. Gosh, I just miss her food sometimes" Chouji explained while thinking about the good times they had together.

As much as Shikamaru felt like asking more from him, he couldn't bring himself to interrogate his childhood friend. No, this was a personal matter for Chouji and he had no right to interfere. Instead of doing that, Shikamaru simply nodded at him with a nod and formed a smile with his mouth.

"Heh! Then I guess you must be lucky guy to date someone who can cook good" Shikamaru told him, which only made Chouji feel even more confident about himself. It was obvious that he needed to hear this compliment.

* * *

 _Inside a conference room at the Leaf Village's hospital_

Naruto and Sakura was just sitting beside each other by a longtable in the hospital's conference room. But they were not alone, as they were surrounded by other important participants, including the Fifth Hokage herself. Tsunade and sat at the edge of the table, with Shizune being the one sitting to her closest from her left. Other participants included Kakashi Hatake, Mitate and Kanpo from the Medic Corp, Shiho and Yurika from the Leaf Villlage's Cryptanalysis Team, and veteran jounins of the Leaf Village: Aoshi Yamashiro, Raido Namiashi and Genma Shiranui.

As they were finally seated, Tsunade could not help but to muse to herself. She did that while glancing at Naruto and Sakura. "Well, I'm glad that you two finally decided to show up. I can't imagine what kept you from not coming her earlier" she then said.

Naruto simply gritted his teeth in slight anger while Sakura's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "We're terribly sorry for that, Lady Tsunade. It won't be repeated, I promise" the pinkette told the Hokage while making sure Naruto was also willing to take this seriously.

"As much as I want to scold the two of you, I will let this slip. But only because it's you two" Tsunade revealed, much to the satisfaction of Naruto and Sakura. But the Hokage glanced specifically at Sakura, her eyes filled with seriousness. "But remember, Sakura. You are this hopsital's vice-president. Don't forget where your priorities are" she then told her.

Sakura only nodded her head in humility, thus giving her mentor full understanding of the matter. "Yes, Lady Tsunade" she said to him with a respectful tone in her voice.

The Hokage stood up and stood beside a blackboard that seemed to be used for presentation in the conference room. It was located at the edge of the room. Shizune also rose up from her seat and stood at the opposite side of where Tsunade was standing. The blackboard seemed to have a screen in the middle and it was switched on.

"I welcome you all to this meeting. As much as I would like to have it at my office, I felt like it was more suitable to have it in this room at the hospital" Tsunade started by speaking up. The screen suddenly showed them a picture of all the medics who was now with the Shadow Squad on their mission. "As all of you may know, seven medics has joined the Shadow Squad on its mission with the Grim Guard and the Divine Division. And these are the medics. They may be few, but I trust that the Sand and Mist Villages will be sending some medics to accompany them as well" the Hokage told them while smiling smugly.

Kakashi suddenly raised a hand in, to which Tsunade acknowledged with a nod directed towards him. "If I may interrupt you for a minute, Lady Tsunade. I was told that the Interrogation Squad was with them as well" he then said to her.

"You're correct. Ibiki Morino along with his closest associates will accompany the Shadow Squad. Their knowledge and abilities will be of great assistance to them" Tsunade noted while answering Kakashi's questions. "But as Hokage, I am confident in the Shadow Squad. Yugao has managed to gather quite a group that will serve the Leaf Village's interests" she added while musing over the fact.

The screen in the middle even showed them a full picture of those in the expedition. Naruto and Sakura could not only notice Yamato and Sai, but also Sasuke. Their eyes widened over seeing him being listed there, as well as what his codename was.

"So Sasuke really is a member of the Shadow Squad?" Naruto noted before forming a smug grin as he could see what his codename was. "Heh. Deathhawk, huh? Cool name. Much better than Sai's codename in my opinion" he said while moping at the end over seeing Sai's ridiculous codename.

The other participants were also stunned to see what Sai's codename was and it was unbelievable. Even the usually reserved Kakashi furrowed his brows as he read the codename.

"You gotta be kidding me" Genma noted while seeing this. "Who the hell names himself Penisshaft? Is this kid really THAT delusional?" the brown-haired man with the senbon in his mouth asked.

Sakura chuckled nervously as she heard what the older man just said. "I wouldn't necessarily say that Sai is delusional. He's just…...misguided" the pinkette then told him.

Naruto only shrugged his shoulders by hearing his girlfriend's words. "Misguided? He has regained his feelings. He's no longer bound by Danzo" the blonde-haired man noted in his thoughts while listening.

"I see that you have managed to pick different clansmen for joining this squad" Raido remarked as he studied each of the members on the screen. "I can see why the Inuzuka and Yamanaka clans didn't wanna send a representative. Their leaders are quite stubborn" he then noted with a light chuckle.

"The Yamanaka clan has already a close cooperation with the Interrogation Squad. Therefore, we understood why they refused when we asked" Shizune told him before she could not help but to slump her head when she was about to mention the Inuzuka clan's reason for refusing to send a member. "Now as for the Inuzuka clan…well, you already know" she added while not bother saying anything more.

"Hold on, is Ino also accompanying the Shadow Squad on their mission?" Sakura asked while taking of notice of seeing Ino on the screen.

Tsunade nodded her head in return. "Certainly. As you already know, Ino has started to take up her father's place as a member of the Interrogation Squad. From what I heard from Ibiki, Ino was his favorite subordinate. It's probably the first time I've ever heard of him having a favorite" the Hokage noted while confirming Sakura's question.

"Oh….." Sakura noted while feeling somewhat surprised. She did not expect someone like her rival to partake in such matters. The pinkette soon forced a smile on her face. "Then I best watch my back from now on. Ino will never best me to be a better kunoichi" she said while having some determination left in her.

Naruto had to smile by seeing her girlfriend acting so confident in her abilities. "Now that's the spirit, Sakura. Keep it up" she told her while also nudging her at the same time.

Tsunade cleared her throat and everyone's attention was focused on her once again. "Listen. There is also we want to share with you in this hospital. And for that, I would like Shiho and Yurika from the Cryptanalysis Team to come up here and explain" she said.

The Hokage and her assistant made way for the two researchers, as the screen in the middle began changing into something different. It would appear that Shiho was the one who would explain this. The screen was showing them so many numbers and letters streaming into different lines.

"Recently, we seemed to have discover something with regards to the terrorist attack a couple of days ago. You see, something happened with is at the Cryptanalysis Team" the woman with the swirl-tinted glasses explained while seeing directing their attention to the screen. "During the attack, our computers experienced something terrible. They started going crazy. It took some time before we discovered that they had been infected by viruses" she revealed to them.

The participants were slightly surprised from what they were hearing and it astounded them all. "But if that's true then it means….." Raido spoke lowly only for Yurika to nod her head weakly in return.

"Yes. We were hacked during the attack. And it appears to us that those hackers had some form of connection with the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts" Yurika told them while taking a glance at the screen. "I am not sure what to say of this, but I believe that those hackers didn't wish for us to track down the movements of the terrorists. That is why they chose to act while the Leaf Village was focused on the terrorist attack at the wedding" she then added to her analysis.

"If they hacked us, they're obviously planning on doing it again" Naruto said as he rose up from his seat, which surprised many, even Sakura and Kakashi. The blonde-haired man glanced at the Hokage. "Grandma Tsunade, I have a feeling that despite us sending the Shadow Squad on this mission, those terrorists will strike at the Leaf Village once again. What if they plan on diverting our forces?" he then asked the Hokage.

Tsunade took her time to think over the matter. "I know, Naruto. And truth be told, I doubt that this mission to find this Island of Tides will be easy" the blonde-haired woman said before forming a slight smile with her lips. "But that doesn't' mean we shall give up so easily. We will show this Crimson Dragon that the Hidden Leaf Village never surrenders to cowardly terrorists. While the Shadow Squad is out there, we must prepare ourselves for the inevitable. And believe me, we will overcome any threats to our lives. That's what it means to carry the Will of Fire" Tsunade then added to her explanation.

All those around the Hokage felt their spirits lifted when they heard how inspirational Tsunade actually was. And the fact that she mentioned the Will of Fire only proved to convince them that while Tsunade was not the Third Hokage, she was one of the few people who had inherited his philosophy.

* * *

 _Somewhere hidden in the darkness, the Island of Tides_

Inside a dark cavern where there was nothing but crooks and ruffians who wandered through it, the three hooded figures that had committed the terrorist act at the Aburame Clan Wedding were now walking amongst the criminals. This place was almost like a city inside the cavern. The many thieves and criminals that infested it had built houses of shacks and dirt to live in this harsh environment. There was light, but the atmosphere in this place was horrible and chaotic. The many criminals that lived in this cavern were performing various activities, like drinking alcohol, watching prostitutes dancing and having contest of who was the strongest of them.

"Eh, this place stinks like dead pigs and goats!" the Azure Dragon said while wandering amongst the crowds of criminals who called this cavern city their home. "Why can't there be rules in this piece of garbage!? People here are doing as they please!" he then added while glancing at his comrades.

Only the Ebon Dragon seemed to have taken interest in responding to his accomplice's complaint. "Even if we had rules here, none of those ruffians would give a damn about it" he told his partner while glancing at bunch of criminals engaged in different kinds of activities. "In this place, the only law that exists, is the law of anarchy" he then added to his explanation.

"Tch, whatever. It doesn't heart to clean up your own ass or go swim in the ocean for that matter!" the Azure Dragon said before glancing at his other accomplice. "Now where are we off to, specifically?" he then asked the Crimson Dragon.

The Crimson Dragon was silent for a minute before he finally spoke up. "Someone has requested to see us. He has taken refuge in one of these lone caverns. From what the letter told us, he was from a celestial lineage" he spoke up, his voice filled with nothing but contempt and hate. "Whoever he is, I could care less. The only reason why we're visiting him is that he said something about destroying the Leaf Village" he added to his explanation.

It didn't take long before they reached to the cavern where there was no person to be seen in sight. However, the trio was surprised to see a line of people standing before them. These people seemed like pale humans that was dressed in black clothes, which covered their bodies. But their empty eyes could be seen, despite the lower part of their faces being bandaged. But what was also noticeable was the yellow crescent moon that was featured on their headbands.

As they neared, the group of people prepared themselves for combat against them, which only astounded the trio of black-hooded men.

"Who the hell are they!?" the Azure Dragon asked while brandishing his sword Narumi. "I've never seen them skulking around here before" he added.

"Whoever they are, they will regret ever confronting us!" the Ebon Dragon boasted while readying himself for combat.

But as the group of men were prepared for combat, they stopped when they heard a voice calling to them. It made them all snapped. "Restraint, my servants. They are my guests" the young voice called to them. Without delay, the mysterious people immediately stopped acting confrontational and even formed a line as if to greet the three people.

The trio was cautious about their behavior, yet they proceeded towards the end of this way. But the group was stunned to see that by the end of the cavern, there had been some sort of decoration happening. Even now, they could spot several pale-skinned women, that seemed to be maids. But they were standing beside someone.

Sitting on a pillow before a table was a young man with pale skin, shaggy white hair, attractive facial features, and six magatama designs tattooed on his collarbones. For some reason, his eyelids were closed. His choice of clothes was also unique to the trio's standards. He wore white, high-collared kimono with a black obi, over which he wore a pale green sash tied at the right shoulder. Beneath his robes he wore black fingerless gloves, long black pants and black shinobi sandals. This man was something they had never seen before.

Despite his eyelids being closed, the young man smiled, indicating that he could sense the trio approaching him. His gaze was even fixed upon them. "I bid you welcome, strangers. I am pleased to know that you received my letter" he told them, his eyelids still closed. "I apologize for my servants' behavior. My puppets tend to not know when I have managed to get allies on this world" he then added, still smiling gently.

The Crimson Dragon was so far not impressed from what he was hearing, yet he simply grunted in return. "Hmm…for being puppets, they sure as hell don't look like those. And I would've dealt with them easily, anyways" he said to the young man before crossing his arms. "Now let's skip the foreplay. Why have you called for us?" he asked him.

The stranger suddenly motioned for them to sit down, where there already had been placed three cups. It was obvious that this young man was inviting them for a drink, as they could spot a bottle on the table.

"Please. Sit down. I would like to get better acquainted with you three individuals" the stranger told them and the three hooded men took their seats, glancing at him suspiciously. He motioned for one of the maids to pour drinks into their cups and she did that without difficulties. The young man smiled at the trio. "It is a pleasure to be of acquaintance, dragons. My name is Toneri Otsutsuki" he then introduced himself.

The trio of hooded men were astounded, yet only the Azure Dragon was the one who seemed most confused. "Whoa, what did you just say?" he asked the young man. "I mean, Otsutsuki…as in…the Otsutsuki clan?" he then asked once again, his voice filled with curiosity.

The man named Toneri simply nodded his head gently, still smiling as he did that. "Yes, I am from the Otsutsuki clan. However, I am the heir to the clan's branch family and its sole survivor" he then told him while the others listened closely.

"What does that even mean?" the Ebon Dragon asked while feeling very suspicious. "As far as I know I carry little knowledge about that clan for that matter" he added.

"I see" the low voice of the Crimson Dragon could be heard as he reached his hand for the cup. He glanced down at the cup where he could see the wine. "It would seem that you are indeed from the Otsutsuki clan. However, you're not related to the Sage of the Six Paths. Rather, you are related to….." the hooded man was interrupted by the voice of Toneri.

"Yes. I am the sole descendant of Hamura Otsutsuki, twin brother of Hagoromo Otsutsuki and the younger twin son of Kaguya Otsutsuki, who you humans may know better as the Mother of All Shinobis" Toneri told him with a smile. "I see you are quite knowledgeable about such matters, which is one of the reasons why I have sought you here on this world, Crimson Dragon" he added while hinting to his admiration for the hooded individual.

Despite hearing the praise, the Crimson Dragon was not impressed. "And why have you sought me out? What interests do you have in this damn world?" he asked.

Despite the tone in his voice, Toneri simply smiled. "I came from the Moon to find some allies. Allies who will understand my cause" he said before his smile soon turned into that of a deep frown. "A cause that I must fulfill" he then added.

The Ebon Dragon finished his drink and put the cup down. "What is this so-called cause you speak of?" he asked Toneri.

"It is nothing but the destruction of mankind and the restoring the honor of my ancestor" he then revealed, his voice filled with contempt over speaking over the matter. "Mankind has weaponized Chakra and misused it's gift for war" the young man added to his explanation.

"Hmmm…...I see where you're getting at" the Crimson Dragon spoke up while finishing his drink. "Your goal is the same as that of Madara Uchiha, isn't it?" he asked the young man.

Toneri was still frowning deeply when hearing this. "Hardly. And Madara Uchiha is an example of those shinobis who have misused the power of Chakra for their own nefarious ends. And he also sought to exploit the powers of my clan! Such insolence cannot go unpunished!" he then said, while speaking about Madara with such venom in his voice. But he soon calmed himself down and took a drink from his cup. "One of my ancestor's goal was to do one thing if the Sage's world would descend into chaos. Destroy it, and punish mankind for their sins" he then said to them in a calm manner.

The trio of hooded men soon realized what this was. Apparently, the Fourth Shinobi World War had got this mysterious man's attention and he was now determined to complete what his ancestor always desired: to destroy the world for misusing the Chakra's power.

The Crimson Dragon glanced onto Toneri once again. "How do you plan on destroying the world? And what's it in for us?" he asked while wanting an answer.

This time, Toneri formed a smile once again. "Well that's just simple. By letting the entire Moon crash Earth" he then said, his voice even sounding very much intimidating.

The three hooded men were astounded when hearing this, yet they were calm on the inside. "Man, you sure have serious issues. So, you plan on murdering the entire human civilization? Not that we care at least" the Azure Dragon spoke up while not feeling any regret for what he just said. "But something tells me that you're not planning on murdering all humans, are you not?" he then asked the young man.

Toneri nodded his head once again. "You are correct. I will spare all those who are deemed useful to me. And you three are among them" he revealed to the trio of hooded men. "I have studied your actions across the world. And from what I gather, you recently infiltrated the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I take it you have fond memories there, Crimson Dragon" he explained while he was facing the Crimson Dragon with his closed eyelids.

"Tch, that piece of shit is no longer my home. They left me to die, including my clan!" he then said with a hint of anger in his voice.

"I see. But there is something I would like to ask of you three dragons. When you infiltrated this village, did you take notice of the Hyuuga clan?" he then asked them while sounding a bit curious.

The Ebon Dragon simply nodded his head in reply. "Yeah, we saw a pack of those bright-eyed rats. Didn't seem much of a challenge" he spoke up with displeasure in his voice.

This caught Toneri's attention. "So, you saw the Hyuugas. Then I take it you managed to get a glimpse of the Hyuuga heiress as well" he asked them while having so much curiosity in his voice. "Her name is Hinata Hyuuga. A stunning princess indeed" he then said while smiling.

"Ah, I remember her" the Azure Dragon spoke up as Toneri glanced at him. "You're probably talking about that bluenette with the big chest. Man, how tough she actually was. Baby's got back" he then said while beginning to talk dirty over Hinata.

For some reason, Toneri formed a frown over hearing this talk coming from the Azure Dragon. "I would prefer if you didn't speak about her as if she was in object. Hinata is a wonderful woman" he then sternly told the Azure Dragon.

The hooded man only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Tch, are you saying you wanna bang her or something? Well too bad, she already has a boyfriend" he then told him.

Hearing this caused Toneri to snap, as he was filled with slight disbelief over hearing this coming from the Azure Dragon. But the young man wanted to know more from what was just being said about Hinata. "Are you meaning to tell me that Hinata already has a lover?" he then asked him.

The Crimson Dragon was growing tired of this talk. "Enough of this bullshitting! Why the hell are you so obsessed with that woman, let alone the Hyuuga clan for that matter!?" he then asked while demanding an answer from Toneri.

The young man simply sighed deeply as he heard what was being said. "You don't have to raise your voice. I prefer that we do this talk calmly" he told the Crimson Dragon while one of his maids began pouring another round of drink in his cup. "I am after the Hyuuga clan for a particular reason. I desire their powers. As you may know, most of the Hyuuga's are like me, descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki. I take it you know about their Kekkei Genkai: the Byakugan" he told him while making sure the others listened to what was being said.

"I know. You don't have to fill every detail. You desire to gain their eyes, but for what reason? And what about this Hinata?" the Crimson Dragon asked, this time, his voice much calmer than usual.

Toneri began gently touching his closed eyelids with his fingers and it astounded those around him. Yet despite him touching them, they never opened. "My eyes were sealed within my clan's Energy Vessel, thus leaving me blind. That is why I must regain my sight by acquiring the Byakugans of the strongest Hyuugas: Hiashi and Hanabi. And then I will absorb the Chakra from all members of the Hyuuga clan" he told them before removing his fingers from his closed eyelids. "And as for Hinata, I will give her two options. Either she will become my wife and rule the Moon alongside me…or she will suffer the same fate as that of her father and sister" he then said, his voice sounding so cold and ruthless.

"Then that means you plan on enslaving the entire Hyuuga clan and make them your servants. A devious plan indeed" the Ebon Dragon noted while hearing this. "I suppose you called us out here to offer an alliance between us?" he then asked the mysterious man.

Toneri nodded his head in return. "Yes. I could have use for allies who understand how this world needs to die. We also share common enemies" he said before stretching out his arms into each side, thus showing them his servants. "And besides, with my assistance, you would benefit from having an army of puppets at your disposal. Simply relying on common criminals, crooks and raiders will eventually run your business out of steam" he then added while explaining what he would have to offer.

The Crimson Dragon suddenly got up from his seat and so did his cohorts. "While I admire your generous offer, I still think it's too soon to consider us allies. Therefore, we will have to consider it carefully" the hooded man said, his Sharingan also being activated. The trio then turned around to leave, but it's leader stayed to say some final words to Toneri. "But until then, we might as well stay in touch with each other. You stay here and we will continue with having contact" he then said before he walked to join with the trio.

Despite seeing this, Toneri simply smiled as he could feel the hooded trio vanish from his sight. It was obvious that he knew they would eventually change their mind and reconsider allying themselves with him. Apparently, this mysterious man had already figured out who those men really were beneath their hooded coats.

"Quite a gang you have, dragons. I expect you to have good judgement when it comes to choosing whom to make enemies with" Toneri said before his mouth formed into a frown. "Becoming my enemy is a fatal error, even to you" he then added, his voice sounding more serious than before.

As the trio walked back to their quarters in these caverns, the Crimson Dragon was in deep thought over becoming allies with this Toneri Otsutsuki. However, he felt no concern for Earth's well-being, let alone other shinobis. The Azure Dragon and the Ebon Dragon also felt the same way, even though their leader had a different view when it came to the world.

"I don't care whoever the hell that bastard is. My objectives are mine and mine alone!" the Crimson Dragon thought in his head while thinking about what the mysterious man had told him and his cohorts. "But then again, he could become useful in our plans to destroy our enemies. However, we best not let him use us as he pleases" he then added to his thoughts while his cohorts only glanced at him, waiting to hear what he was thinking of.

Even now, the Crimson Dragon's Sharingan glowed redder and they only signalized that he was not giving up his true objectives. No, he would not abandon his path of vengeance for the sake of some arrogant prince who thought he was superior.

* * *

 _Inside the basement of a hotel, Land of Waves_

Since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, many of the smaller nations had changed. The Land of Waves, a small island nation off the coast of the Land of Fire, was no exception when it came to extreme national makeover. The nation had gone from being a poor and corrupted country, to a famous holiday destination, especially during the summers. Even now, a new type of class had emerged. This was a class of hotel moguls, who owned some of the most exclusive in the world. Not only was it the hotel moguls. Many foreigners had established themselves in the Land of Waves by building their own fancy apartments or villas. What was also common in the country was its fancy beaches and yachts that were docked nearby.

But right now, the Shadow Squad and their accomplices in the Medic Corp and the Interrogation Squad had arrived at their destination: a fancy hotel near the ocean. It was also located near the harbor, where they would board the ship that would take them to wherever the Island of Tides was located at. Even now, Yugao Uzuki and Ibiki Morino were having a talk about this.

"Okay. This is the place" Yugao told everyone while taking off her mask. But as they looked around in the basement, they couldn't see any other person. "This has to be a joke, why haven't the Grim Guard and the Divine Division arrived yet?" she asked out in slight irritation.

"I don't know. But it appears that we have arrived here first" Ibiki noted while glancing around in the basement. He then looked over to Yugao. "I know that this may sound disrespectful, but why don't we have a quick meeting before they show up?" he then suggested to the purple-haired woman.

Yugao could not help but to smile as she heard this coming from him. "You took the words right out of my mouth, Ibiki. I guess it would be appropriate for us to have this gathering in order for the Shadow Squad to learn how to behave with our allies from the Sand and the Mist" she noted before fixing a glance at the members of the Shadow Squad, who were currently leaning against the wall. "Shadow Squad! Gather up before us! We have some important words of wisdom to share with you!" Yugao commanded and all members responded without hesitation.

The members also took off their masks while standing before Yugao and Ibiki like a class. Standing behind those two leaders was Tonbo Tobikate, Shimon Hijiri, Mawashi Dokuraku, Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, Iwashi Tatami, Mozuku and Ino Yamanaka representing the Interrogation Squad and Kusushi, Ugai, Mogusa, Oyone, Kito, Migaki and Iyashi representing the Medic Corps, who had chosen to participate in this mission. Asami Nakano approached the Commander of the Shadow Squad and bowed to her and Ibiki with formality.

"We have assembled the expedition, commander. You have our undivided attention" the teal-haired woman assured Yugao.

"Fair enough. Then let this little meeting begin" Yugao told Asami, who quickly returned to her post, standing beside Sai and Yamato. "Now I hope all of you enjoyed the journey to the Land of Waves. Because the next phase is where things will start to get tricky. And by that, I mean sailing the ocean" she then told them.

"While we have failed to locate this Island of Tides, I do suppose the Divine Division will be of more help to us with that" Ibiki then said to them. "These waters are after all their turf. But before we do the sailing, we will have to get better acquainted with both the Grim Guard and the Divine Division. And by that, I mean befriending their members" he then added while making sure they were listening carefully.

Sai suddenly raised his hand, and he was allowed to speak up. "If I may interrupt you, I have a question regarding our allies" the pale-skinned man said and both Yugao and Ibiki allowed him to have the word. "Due to the fact that we're allies in the Triple Entente, do you know the commanders of those groups?" he then asked them.

Yugao closed her eyes while shaking her head as a no. "Unfortunately, we don't know. In fact, neither Lady Tsunade nor the allied Kages have bothered giving out the names of those commanders" the purple-haired woman told him before opening her eyes. "But it is for a good reason. This is top secret information. Therefore, the names of the commanders can't be given out so carelessly" she then told him.

Ibiki could not help but to smile slightly. "Whoever they are, I'm confident that the Kazekage and the Mizukage have chosen the perfect leaders for those groups, just as you are to the Shadow Squad" he said while glancing at the members. "They will have to impress us if they want us to become allies in this Triple Entente" he said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"You want us to impress you?" all the Leaf shinobis snapped as they could hear a voice coming from the shadows. As soon as it vanished, they could see two different individuals wearing white clothes and a white mask that covered their faces, but not their eyes. But it didn't take long before more of these people began appearing out from the shadows. While they were standing on their knees, the one who had spoken stood up, as did his second-in-command, who turned out to be a woman. "Well, what do you think? Aren't you impressed of the Grim Guard?" the commander spoke up.

Despite being surprised, Ibiki and Yugao soon found calmed themselves, with Ibiki even going as far as to chuckle in amusement over what he had just witnessed. They approached the two leaders of the Grim Guard.

"Ah, you must be the Sand Village's Grim Guard, shinobis personally appointed by the Kazekage" Ibiki noted while glancing at them with a smug smile. He and Yugao eventually lowered their head in a formal gesture. "We welcome you to the Land of Waves. I am Ibiki Morino, Commander of the Interrogation Squad" he then introduced himself.

"And I'm Yugao Uzuki, Commander of the Shadow Squad" the purple-haired woman said while glancing at the Sand ninjas sternly. "How about you remove your covers and show us who you truly are?" she then suggested, her voice not filled with pleasantries.

The second-in-command removed her covers and it showed them the face of a bright and smiling woman. She had dark hair and seemed to be around the age of the Kazekage himself. "My name is Yutaka. I'm second-in-command of the Grim Guard" she introduced herself while sounding so happy.

Neither Ibiki nor Yugao knew whether to take her seriously, yet they were mostly concentrated on the commander who removed his cover. He was sighing over hearing Yutaka's easygoing manner of introducing herself.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Yutaka? Being my second-in-command means that you also need to have act like one" the commander said before removing his cover completely, thus revealing his face for everyone to see. "Anyway, I am called Baki. The Fifth Kazekage chose me to lead the Grim Guard" he introduced himself in his usual cold voice.

While Ibiki simply gave him a nod of approval in return, Yugao had a much different expression when getting a glimpse of the man with those markings on his face. She was filled with so many emotions, but must of them anger and resentment. However, the purple-haired woman surprisingly managed to keep them hidden from the outside, even though Baki could actually sense her hostility towards him. It didn't take long before Ibiki and Yutaka did that as well.

"What seems to be the problem?" Baki asked her lowly, only for him to be surprised as the purple-haired woman drew out her blade and nearly landed it on his right shoulder. The Commander of the Grim Guard was outraged over this. "What the hell is the meaning of this!? We are allies!" he told her.

"Shut up!" Yugao snapped, thus shutting the young man completely. Even now, some tears could be soon falling from her brown eyes. She gritted her teeth in anger over seeing this man. "You…it's you!" she then said while her voice was seething with anger.

The members of the Shadow Squad and the Grim Guard had so far not moved to help either of their superiors. But both Yutaka and Ibiki tried their best to make Yugao lower her blade, yet she didn't respond to their pleas. Her eyes were completely fixated upon Baki, who had so far, not understood what was going on.

"Why are you doing this, Yugao? They are our allies!" Ibiki told the young woman, who held her grip on her sword firmly.

"Listen, Sand ninjas…..have you heard of someone named Hayate Gekko…." Yugao asked Baki, who surprisingly widened his only visible eye as he heard that name.

"Hayate Gekko…..that name sounds familiar….but where have I heard it?" he then said lowly before something hit in this young man's head. Baki was now beginning to recall something he had done years ago, especially at a time when relations between the Leaf Village and the Sand Village were icy. "Of course…...that Leaf Village jounin….he who was a master of the Dance of the Crescent Moon technique…but he…" Baki was interrupted by Yugao's angry voice.

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO THAT MAN WAS!?" Yugao yelled while never letting go of her blade. "HAYATE GEKKO WAS MY LOVER! AND YOU…...YOU KILLED HIM!" she yelled another round at the Sand ninja.

When Baki heard this, his only eye widened in shock once again. But he was not the only one, even Ibiki and Yutaka had become shocked when hearing the words that came out of the purple-haired woman's mouth. Many members of the Shadow Squad and the Grim Guard had not yet bothered to interfere. Only Asami seemed to have the guts to attempt her commander from committing such bloodshed.

"Commander…..please lower you blade" Asami pleaded to Yugao, yet her eyes and tears were mostly focused on the man standing before her.

"I see. So this Hayate Gekko was someone very dear to you" Baki spoke up, his voice surprisingly filled with sympathy. The man with the markings across his face simply bowed down his head in shame. "Then you have my sympathy and pity. I understand the pain of losing…." Baki was quickly interrupted once again.

"DON'T LECTURE ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU KILLED HAYATE LIKE HE WAS NOTHING!" Yugao barked at him while even moving her blade so that it was near Baki's neck. Even as she did that, a drip of blood could be soon on her blade. Rage was beginning to take hold on the purple-haired woman. "YOU SAND NINJAS THREW YOUR LOT WITH THAT FUCKING PEDOPHILE, ORICHIMARU! NOT ONLY DID HE KILL OUR THIRD HOKAGE, HE ALSO KILLED YOUR FOURTH KAZEKAGE! BUT WORST OF ALL…..you murdered the one most dearest to me" she then went on explaining the pain she had to endure.

While he was standing there and listening to what was being said, Baki could not help but to form a slight sympathetic expression on his face. In fact, he even closed his eye while lowering his head once again. This only indicated that he was now doing something Sand ninjas did rarely: acknowledging mistakes.

"Yes. I admit it. I killed Hayate Gekko. And although I did it for the sake of the Sand Village…..it is something I really wish I could change" Baki spoke up while admitting his involvement in Hayate's assassination. He then glanced at the purple-haired woman with nothing but a serious eye. "From what I can tell, revenge and agony is taking hold on you. I know that you desire my death. So if you believe that this will bring you satisfaction, then do it! Kill me now and see if that will satisfy your deceased lover!" Baki then challenged the purple-haired woman.

Yugao no longer had control of her mind and she angrily swung her blade to cut off Baki's head only for something to prevent the sword from reaching Baki's head. The purple-haired woman was astounded to see who it was that was holding her sword. It was a Mist ninja, who wore a giant, metallic mask that seemed to cover his entire face. It almost looked like a diving mask, as the mask had two narrowed eyes that were glowing blue. His choice of outfit was also interesting. It was a black one-piece swimsuit with many mechanical details on it. The question that remained was whether this person was even human. Yugao completely snapped as the masked individual lowered her blade gently.

"You must choose your opponents, carefully" the figure spoke in a metallic voice. This had probably something with his metallic mask to do. "One can't simply rush into such actions without caring about the consequences. That is what I hope you two understand" he then added.

Both Baki and Yugao glanced at him with cautious eyes, as they had actually never seen this man before. "Who are you?" Baki asked lowly as he could see the figure move away a bit.

Before everyone knew it, new shinobis emerged from the rooftops and it astounded both the Leaf and Sand shinobis. But from the looks of it, all those ninjas seemed to wear masks with slits for eye-holes and the Mist Village's symbol printed on their foreheads. This could only mean one thing. These were Mist ninjas, but not just any ordinary Mist ninjas. It was the Divine Division.

"I apologize for arriving late. But the Divine Division will make up for their own faults" the man with the mask said while showing formality towards his fellow commanders. "I am pleased to be of acquaintance to you. I am called Shachi Arashiro…..Commander of the Divine Division" he then introduced himself while saying who he was.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: Now that was a great chapter. We saw how Tenten and Lee were able to overcome their argument at the hospital and agreed to go out. We also saw how the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts were doing. Yes, we got to see where the hooded trio were staying at and this kind of offer Toneri Otsutsuki offered them. Yes, Toneri is from Naruto: The Last, and I have seen it. However, I want him to have a different role in this story, and not to be the character that was made to make Naruto jealous in the movie. In fact, this version of Toneri will have a more twisted personality than the one from the movie (especially with the way of acquiring the Hyuuga clan members) and he will also play a part in this story. But then again, we will also be focused on the Crimson Dragon and his schemes. Will he and Toneri become allies? But trust me, this story will not copy the movie's plot and Hinata is focused on Kiba instead of Naruto here.**

 **And by the way, Yasei is my name for Kiba's father. It's basically Japanese for wild, seeing how Kiba, Hana and Tsume is Japanese for fang, nose and claw respectively. That's what I think fits in with family.**

 **Also, Shachi Arashiro is an OC of mine. He is the commander of the Divine Division. When thinking about him, I was inspired by Black Manta from the DC Universe. But he is not a bad guy. Fun fact: Shachi is actually Japanese for killer whale.**


	13. Old Hatreds

**Author's note: This chapter will feature some plot twists. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Old Hatreds**

 _In the basement of a hotel, Land of Waves_

Sasuke was sitting amongst the gathering between members of the Shadow Squad, Grim Guard and the Divine Division. He had for most part been quiet ever since he had arrived at this place. And that is what he had always been, even during Yugao's confrontation against Baki. The raven-haired man was now sitting by himself, knowing very well that not most of his fellow members of the Shadow Squad treated him with nothing but loathing and disrespect. But Sasuke was interrupted by a feminine voice calling to her.

"Sasuke…...why do you sit here all by yourself?" the raven-haired man looked up and saw Ino standing there, the blondie dressed in a jacket that was worn by those serving in the Interrogation Squad. From the looks of it, she seemed pretty curious about Sasuke sitting by himself. "Aren't you gonna join up with the rest of us?" she then asked him kindly.

Despite hearing this, Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, as if didn't matter to him. "Why do I even bother? They're just gonna taunt me and badmouth me, anyways" he told her before facing the groups who were socializing with each other. "And besides, I prefer to not mingle myself with fools like them. They annoy me" he then said.

Ino couldn't help but to cross her arms in slight dispassion over hearing this. "So you're saying that me, Sai and Yamato are fools?" she then asked him while feeling slightly offended at Sasuke's statement.

"I never said anything about you being that. I was referring to that Aburame over there, the ex-Root member. He along with the Akimichi are nothing but fools who have no clue. They're too ignorant" Sasuke pointed out while motioning his head towards Shito Akimichi and Tatsuma Aburame, who were conversing with some other members.

Ino had to giggle in amusement and she sat right beside the raven-haired man, much to Sasuke's own surprise. "Yeah, they can come across as arrogant types, but they'll learn to see you as an ally. Trust me" she insisted to him in the process.

"Why are you sitting beside me, anyway?" Sasuke asked her, feeling somewhat dumbstruck.

The young woman simply glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "Why? Well there's no way a loner like you can take the initiative and socialize on your own. So I may was well help you with that. Come on, just admit that you don't have the talent. Everyone has a weakness" she told him as honest as she could.

Sasuke only glanced at Ino with eyes of displeasure, before facing the ground, sighing in defeat. "I guess you're right on that one. So far, I only have made reconciliations with Naruto and Sakura. But it takes a while before someone else will regain my trust" the raven-haired man said before he began clenching his fists into slight anger. "But while I do desire to be trusted again…I won't be judged for honoring my brother's legacy. That I will never allow to happen" he then said.

"But joining hands with the likes of Orochimaru and Akatsuki will lead to judgements like these, Sasuke" Ino pointed out to him. Sasuke glanced at her with a slight disapproving glare, yet Ino still possessed the determination to look him in the eyes. "When you chose the behavior, you chose the consequences. And these people you joined were responsible for the deaths and suffering of many people. As such, you will be judged for your actions" the blondie told him.

Sasuke could not help but to scoff at her, yet he was secretly amused by Ino's statement. "Hmmm…...even though you haven't changed…I must admit that you are an amusing woman. I can see now why Sakura resents you that much" he then noted smugly.

Hearing this made Ino huff at him in return. "Don't you even start there, jackass. I swear, I'm beginning to understand why Naruto always envied you at the beginning. He didn't possess your stubbornness" she told him confidentially, yet Sasuke seemed to simply ignore her statement. Ino only smiled smugly. "Hmmm…...maybe you are something, after all" she noted in her thoughts while glancing at the raven-haired man.

But not far from their location, two members of the Interrogation Squad: Tonbo Tobikate and Shimon Hijiri could not help but to notice as Ino was conversing with Sasuke, as well as sitting beside him. Yet they made sure not to be noticed by either of those young shinobis.

"There she goes again. Trying to flirt with the ex-criminal" Shimon noted while leaning against the wall. "What do you think about this?" the gloomy brown-haired man asked his partner.

"It's a good thing the captain is in another room with the other leaders right now. If he saw them like this, he would've come after Sasuke's ass" the bandaged man said while observing the interaction. "Captain Ibiki has become way too overprotective with Ino ever since she was assigned to guard and extract information from him" Tonbo added to his statement.

"Shouldn't we go over and pull Ino out from this? It would be best if we could avoid pissing the captain off" Shimon suggested and was about to make a move, only for Tonbo to stop him by holding his right arm.

Tonbo shook his head as a no. "No. Ino is able to make her own decisions. Therefore, we'll have to trust in her judgements. And don't forget that Ino's judgements are one of the reasons why Captain Ibiki holds her in high regard" the bandaged man pointed out to his comrade.

Sasuke and Ino could suddenly see Sai approach them, yet he was not alone. Three figures appeared behind him and the raven-haired man wondered why they were doing that. The pale-skinned man formed his friendly smile at him and Ino, although he was specifically glancing at Sasuke.

"Excuse me for interrupting your conversation, but these three Mist ninjas claim to know you, Sasuke" Sai said while stepping aside to show two shinobis and one kunoichi wearing the ANBU masks of the Mist Village. Like all members of the Divine Division, they wore grey vests and camouflage pants. However, Sasuke could take notice of their different hairstyles and colors. "Perhaps you can tell us who they are" Sai then told Sasuke.

Sasuke narrowed his black eyes as he studied each of those Mist ninjas. The two shinobis had white and orange hair, while the kunoichi had red hair. It didn't take long before Sasuke was beginning to realize who they were, and he specifically glanced at the one with the white hair.

"Are you…Suigetsu?" he then asked the one with white hair.

The one spoken to immediately removed his mask and it revealed the face of none other than Suigetsu Hozuki. The purple-eyed man simply gave Sasuke his toothy grin.

"Sasuke! What up, my main man!? It's been a long time since we last talked!" Suigetsu said while exclaiming out with happiness over seeing him. He continued to grin at Sasuke. "Just admit it! You're surpised to see me here, aren't ya?" he then added.

"As a matter of fact, I am" Sasuke told him before glancing at the outfit he was wearing. "Especially since you have actually returned to the Mist Village" he then added to his statement.

Suigetsu shrugged his shoulders as he heard that. "Yeah, you thought I was gonna end up getting stuck with Orochimaru and his four-eyed buttslave? Hell no! I'm my own boss now" he told him before suddenly pointing his fingers to those standing beside them. "But I'm not the only one who's been searching for a new career" he then told him.

Sasuke could not help but to smirk. "I see. It's been a long time as well, Karin, Juugo" he then said. The two persons standing beside Suigetsu removed their masks and revealed their faces. Sasuke's assumptions turned out to be correct. Juugo was simply glancing at him with a slight smile, the young man still having this spikey orange hair. And Karin could not help but to blush slightly by seeing the raven-haired man sitting there, the redhead soon putting on her glasses. "I thought you had disappeared from the world" Sasuke then admitted.

Juugo still smiled at him. "I would never miss the opportunity to enjoy the peace in this world. But then again, I am glad to see you again, Sasuke. We heard about what had happened to you in the Leaf Village" he then said.

"I'm so happy that you're alive, Sasuke!" Karin exclaimed while trying to hid her feelings from Sasuke. "I was hoping to meet you once again!" she then said while trying to dive and catch Sasuke in a hug, only for Suigetsu to hold her back with a hand.

The white-haired man simply rolled his purple eyes. "Really Karin? We meet Sasuke for the first time after a couple of years and THIS is what you wanna do!?" he groaned while holding the redhead back.

Karin was fuming with anger. "We haven't seen each other for a very long time! And as friends, he deserves my hug!" she told him, only for Suigetsu to make a mocking gesture at her with his right hand.

Ino and Sai were curious about who these people were, and Ino decided to ask Sasuke about them. "Who are these people, Sasuke?" Ino asked while glancing at them with a curious expression on her face.

Sasuke simply closed his eyes while leaning against the wall. "They were once my partners-in-crime when we formed the group Taka. Like me, they also had been staying with Orochimaru before we formed this group. We then went on to join the Akatsuki and launch an attack on the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron" the raven-haired man explained like it was no big deal.

Sai had to muse to himself by hearing this. "So these were your partners, huh?" he asked while glancing at Suigetsu and Karin bicker at one another. The pale-skinned man then looked at Sasuke while smiling at him. Sai even pointed a thumb towards the trio. "You sure have a good way of making friends, I give you that" he then noted to him.

The raven-haired man was starting to feel slightly bored over this, so he decided to change the subject by asking Juugo about what he had been doing. "Hey Juugo. Have you and Karin been given citizenship in the Mist Village?" he then asked the calm-mannered man.

He simply nodded his head weakly. Suigetsu and Karin also seemed to be interested in hearing this, as they had stopped focusing on each other for now. "Yes. After the war, me three eventually got captured by ANBUs of the Hidden Mist Village. Apparently, they were specifically after Suigetsu to begin with. And because of Orochimaru isolating himself from the world, we were brought to the Mist Village" he then explained shortly.

"I take it you were given amnesty and pardoned for your crimes, right?" Sasuke then asked them.

This time, it was Suigetsu who answered. "Yeah, we were given those. But that wouldn't have happened if Commander Shachi hadn't convinced the Mizukage of how useful we could be to the village" the white-haired man explained.

"He had been studying us and had discovered about our abilities, as well as the clans we originated from" Karin noted lowly while adjusting her glasses. "He then informed this to the Mizukage and her advisors and they became tempted by his suggestion. To place us in the Mist Village's ANBU Black Ops. We were placed there and eventually pardoned for our crimes and actions in the past" Karin then told them.

"And this eventually led to us be placed in the Divine Division, this new branch of the ANBU Black Ops that Commander Shachi created along with the Mizukage" Suigetsu then explained smugly before pointing his thumb at Karin. "But Karin is also serving as a medic in the Divine Division due to her healing abilities. She's quite handy" he then told them, only for Karin to angrily bang his head with her fist. "OUCH! WHAT THE HELL'S YOUR PROBLEM!?" Suigetsu then asked her while rubbing the bump on his head.

Karin simply huffed while crossing her arms. "As for making me look like a bimbo, you asswipe!" she spat at him and the two started to glare at each other angrily.

Sai was getting intrigued from listening to this talk about the Divine Division. "Who is this Shachi Arashiro?" the pale-skinned man asked them, thus catching their attentions. "If I recall correctly, he is someone who's comfortable showing himself in the public" he then added.

"I think that may not be the right answer, Sai" the group turned around and could see Yamato standing there with a deep frown. He had been listening to the conversation so far, and now, he felt like stepping in to talk. "Your time in Root may have given you some knowledge about the Mist Village's ANBU and their methods, but not their commanders" the brown-haired man then said.

Sasuke glanced at Yamato with narrowed eyes. "I take it you know who he is" he then told him.

Yamato nodded his head in return. "Yes, but I have very limited information about that man. But from what I gather, he was one of the most ruthless ANBU commanders of the Hidden Mist. In fact, he rose to prominence during the era in which the village was called the Village of the Bloody Mist" Yamato told them while making sure they were the only ones who were listening. "Furthermore, Shachi also has a record in working as a tracker ninja in the ANBU's Corpse Processing Team. But he never hunted the most wanted shinobis of the Mist Village" he then noted while recalling the files he had read from his time serving the Leaf Village's ANBU.

Suigetsu simply shrugged his shoulders while hearing this. "Well, I don't know what to think about him, but you should see the Divine Division's second-in-command. He is one hell of a showoff if you ask me" he spoke up.

Karin imply groaned in annoyance while hearing this. "Do you even need to mention it?" she asked him while facepalming.

"Who is this second-in-command?" Sasuke asked his former partners-in-crime while wanting an answer out of them.

"Tch, some flamboyant swordsman by the name of Hyozan Ishiwata" Suigetsu said while muttering to himself while thinking about this person he so despised. Suigetsu simply nodded to those around him. "Yeah, this guy's one of the newbies to the Seven Swordsman of the Mist. But he sure as hell has a long way to go" he then went on explaining.

"Anyway" all attentions were focused on Juugo as he was trying to change the subject on the matter. The orange-haired man was glancing at Ino, Sai and Yamato with a gentle expression on his face. "You must be from the Leaf Village. I am Juugo, an acquaintance of Sasuke in the past" he then introduced himself to them.

Neither of those three knew how to respond to this, yet Sai seemed to be the only one willing to respond to Juugo. In fact, the pale-skinned man even went a step further by reaching out a hand to him, thus signalizing his willingness to handshake with him. While surprised at first, Juugo happily shook hands with Sai.

"It's a pleasure to meet you then, Juugo. You may call me Sai" he said while smiling at Juugo. The orange-haired man did so in return.

Suigetsu formed a toothy grin as he glanced at Sai, Ino and Yamato. "Always nice to meet new faces. I'm Suigetsu Hozuki, a former partner-in-crime of Sasuke's, if you catch my drift. But know, I'm in the Divine Division and the ANBU Black Ops. My codename is Deadshark" the white-haired man said before glancing over to Sasuke. He only glanced back with his usual bored expression. "Hey Sasuke, do you have a codename or something? Given how you're still despised throughout the world, I expect you to have a cool codename while going undercover" he then asked while wanting to know what Sasuke's codename was.

Sasuke only shrugged his shoulders as he heard that. "If you really must know, it's Deathhawk" the raven-haired man said to Suigetsu.

"Deathhawk? Now that's just bizarre" Suigetsu noted while musing to himself. "I was hoping for something cooler like…Raven" he then said what he thought was appropriate.

Those standing around him only dropped sweats as they listened to what was being said. But Sasuke didn't seem to mind, as he was actually used to Suigetsu's cocky antics.

"God, you never get tired of convincing others of your cockiness, do you?" Karin asked while sighing deeply. In fact, the redhead took a seat beside Ino, who found it amusing to meet another kunoichi. Karin smiled at her while reaching out a hand. "I take it you and Sasuke were friends back in the Leaf Village. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Karin" the four-eyed woman said.

Ino took Karin's hand gently and shook it, feeling interested in getting to know this woman. "My name is Ino Yamanaka" the blondie introduced herself before she took notice of Karin's red hair. "I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but your hair is quite elegant. I mean, what kind of shampoos do you use?" she asked her.

Hearing this caused Karin to immediately giggle in amazement. "Finally, someone who understands how beauty works!" she exclaimed while feeling so happy over Ino having good knowledge about it. "Yeah, I do use shampoo to make it look good. But I also have hairspray, if you catch my drift" Karin added while grinning mischievously at Ino.

"Wow, well that explains this wonderful scent" Ino remarked while she stroked her long, golden ponytail. "You think that it would be appropriate for me to use hairsprays?" she then asked Karin.

Karin nodded her head in agreement. "Absolutely. Your hair is wonderful. They get the job done. In fact, I can show you some of the hairsprays of mine if you want" the four-eyed woman offered, much to Ino's own delight and interest.

Suigetsu rolled his eyes while hearing this, Sai was happy that Ino was making a new friend, while Juugo and Sai never paid much attention to this. Suigetsu was not liking how Karin and Ino quickly bonded with each other. "Damn. Now I'll Karin's gonna think she's got the upper hand against me" he noted in his thoughts while thinking about this friendship.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Karin. But there is something that I would like to ask of you" the voice came from Yamato while he was sitting beside the four-eyed woman. Even Sai and Juugo had taken their seats and Suigetsu also sat down, albeit reluctantly. Yamato glanced at Karin with his generous smile. "That hair of yours…especially the color…..looks very similar to those of the Uzumaki clan. Are you one of its survivors?" the brown-haired man asked her.

Karin nodded her head, albeit weakly. "Yeah. That's true" she said while she slightly faced the ground with a somewhat disappointed glance. "But I can't say that I've had a very pleasant experience. Ever since I was little girl, I've always felt that I never had a home to go back to" she told them before sighing deeply. That was one of the main reasons why I was an easy target of Orochimaru's manipulations" she added while recalling her rough childhood.

Ino couldn't help but to feel sorry for Karin, and she even put a hand on her shoulder, which surprised Karin. The blondie glanced at her with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. You have someone to call home now in the Mist Village, don't you?" she asked her, which caused Karin to snap n realization. Ino nodded her head. "Yeah, the fact that you were enlisted in the Divine Division instead of being sent to prison somehow confirms that the Mist Village wants to take you in" she then told her.

"And you're the only one who has been victimized here" the voice came from Yamato, who was forming a slight frown with his mouth while letting out a sigh. "As a matter of fact, I was also a victim of Orochimaru's machinations. That alone changed my life" he admitted bitterly before forming a smile while glancing at Karin. "But I managed to look forward, and put all the pain I experienced behind. I believe that everyone can do that, even you" he then told her.

Hearing this made Karin's eye filled with tears and she was actually happy to hear those words. For a long time, she felt her own confidence getting lifted up. She immediately embraced Ino in a tight hug, to which the blondie happily returned. Those who sat near them were actually smiling, even Sasuke. The raven-haired man could not help but to admit he was happy over seeing Karin, Juugo and Suigetsu once again.

At another corner of the basement, several members of the Grim Guard were now sitting by themselves while observing this large gathering that took place. So far, they had decided to stick to themselves, rather than to try and socialize with members of the Shadow Squad or the Divine Division. Why they did that, remains questionable.

"Well isn't this just precious?" the brown-haired man named Komaza remarked while resting his arms behind his neck. "Here we get sent away from home, only to be sent out to the seas. Talk about a pain in the ass" he noted in a slightly lazy manner.

The four-eyed man named Mikoshi adjusted his glasses while listening to Komaza's statement. "You don't say. And here I thought you wanted to do something of value for the Sand Village, given what you've always been deemed a failure. I'm surprised that the Kazekage would even let you join the Grim Guard" he then said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

Hearing this made Komaza angrily glare at Mikoshi, who was not focused on him anymore. "What did you just say!? Hey! I'm talking to you, four-eyes!" he barked at him while feeling confrontational with the calm-mannered man. Komaza began standing right in front of the man with glasses. "You better take back what you just said, nerd! Being one of Lord Gaara's apprentices, doesn't give you the right to act like a smartass towards me!" he added.

Mikoshi only glanced at the hotheaded shinobi with great displeasure. "Hmmm…...even now, I think Yutaka is a better shinobi than you when it comes to those who have talent and guts of a shinobi" he noted while expressing his thoughts about Komaza.

"Enough of this bickering, already!" the voice came from the young kunoichi from the Sand Village named Sari told both Mikoshi and Komaza while sighing deeply. "I sometimes wish that Matsuri was with us to keep a better control on bickering members such as those two" the young woman noted to the shinobi standing beside her, whose name was Ittetsu.

Ittetsu simply shrugged his shoulders as he heard this. "We all know why she isn't with us. She's better off as an advisor to the Kazekage himself. Why would she bother wasting time here?" the young man asked her while glancing around in the basement. Ittetsu could not help but to whistle a little, and it astounded those around him. "Hard to believe that things got quiet all of a sudden. I mean, Lord Baki and that Leaf Village broad were almost at each other's throat" he then remarked in slight amusement.

Sari felt somewhat concerned as she heard what her comrade just spoke of. "But is it really true? Did Lord Baki actually kill someone dear to that woman?" she asked, as she had never heard of this before.

Mikoshi simply glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "Are you serious? Lord Baki has always been known to carry out assassinations for the sake of the Sand Village" the four-eyed man told her before he let out a deep sigh. "But you heard his confession, he actually regrets committing it, given that the Sand Village were allied with the Sound Village during that time. We were all blind to how deceitful that scumbag really was. Orochimaru was able to play both us Sand shinobis and the Leaf shinbois against each other. And because of this, it enabled him to murder not just the Third Hokage, but also the Fourth Kazekage" he then went on explaining something that happened in the past.

Ittetsu simply grinned as he heard what was being said. "But that's all in the past, Mikoshi. Now, were facing forward towards the future. And I believe in the future, we will overcome any obstacles, especially with Gaara as our Kazekage" he then said, once again expressing his open admiration of Gaara. "And rest assured, the Grim Guard will come after anyone's asses who threatens the Sand Village. Never forget that" he then added to his comrades.

Komaza simply grunted in return while hearing this. "Yeah, well how do you suppose that the Grim Guard will complete this mission?" the cocky man suddenly asked his comrades, and they all faced him with questionable glances. "I mean, we have a clueless dumbass as second-in-command. How do you think she will be of great use to Lord Baki…or to us for that matter?" he then asked again, expressing serious doubts about the leadership of Baki and Yutaka.

"Hey. What's with that attitude?" Sari asked him while crossing her arms. "Yutaka busted her butt to become the kunoichi she is today. How can you badmouth her all of a sudden?" she questioned Komaza's behavior.

Komaza simply snickered in return. "Because we're the Grim Guard, genius. We don't have room for clueless idiots. Hell, she can't even seem to follow Baki's leadership" he pointed out.

Mikoshi was about to open his mouth to scold the repulsive member of the Grim Guard, only to refrain from doing so once he noticed someone approach Komaza from behind. He himself quickly turned around and was stunned to discover who was just standing before him. It was a young man by the name of Shira, who was known for his trademark scars. He along with his teammates: Sen and Yome were standing there, glancing at Komaza with disappointed expressions. Like all members of the Grim Guard, they also wore its white outfit.

"Hey punk. May I suggest that you start being smart by stop acting like an arrogant twit?" the taupe grey-haired man questioned Komaza with open dispassion in his voice. "Clearly, you have never been into battle before, let alone finished the Chuunin Exams. So maybe you'll start by being more appreciative to those around you" he then said to the repulsive, young man.

Komaza refused to back down and tried to angrily confront the young man. "Watch who you're talking to, shitstick! I know how to act in a battle!" he barked while pointing a finger at Shira. "And for the record, I possess enough experience to handle one on my own" he then boasted defiantly.

Shira only narrowed his eyes in return. "Hmmm. I doubt you do, lousy jester" he said before turning around to walk away. However, Shira did look over his shoulder to glance at Komaza with eyes of dispassion. "Based upon my viewpoint, you lack the understanding to be a ninja of the Sand. And here I thought you would have some dignity in you, given that you're one of Ebizo's grandchildren. While I respect Gaara's wishes, I doubt you will be much of a contributor to the Grim Guard" he said before walking away. Sen and Yome followed him soon after.

While Komaza left the group while muttering to himself. Mikoshi had to smile as he was seeing Shira and his team. Even Sari and Ittetsu were having similar reactions to the man they saw.

"Wow. I never expected Shira to have been inducted into the Grim Guard" he noted while watching Shira and his comrades go somewhere else. "Lord Gaara has been choosing it's members wisely" he then said while adjusting his glasses.

Sari nodded her head in return. "Of course. Before he became a legend among us, Shira was considered to be utterly useless to the Sand Village. But that changed when Gaara became Kazekage" the brown-haired woman said, agreeing with Mikoshi's sentiment.

Ittetsu simply rested his hands behind his neck. "I guess we'll be managing perfectly in this mission" he noted smugly to his comrades.

Meanwhile, Komaza was now sitting by himself, feeling kind of embarrassed over what had happened between him and Shira. The young man was now leaning against the wall, eventually sitting onto the ground. Apparently, Komaza had been reminded about the reason why he had been placed in the Grim Guard. Thinking about this reason irritated him.

"Damn it! It's not my fault that I'm such a screw-up!" the brown-haired man noted in his head frustratingly while facing the floor. "People think just because my grandad is one of the Honored Siblings, it means that I need must live to his reputation! That's bullshit! I never desire to be like that old geezer!" he angrily thought while thinking about what had been said to him by Shira.

But he was interrupted in his thoughts when he could notice someone approach him. Looking up, he saw a member of the Grim Guard, but not just any. It was someone Komaza knew back from the Sand Village. In fact, he had also participated in the same Chuunin Exams and failed after getting caught cheating. This was the young man named Nejiri, who was actually a friend and cousin of Komaza. But unlike Komaza, Nejiri eventually passed the next Chuunin Exams.

The young black-haired man waved at Komaza in his usual kind-hearted self. "Hey there, cousin. Why the long face?" he asked him before sitting down next to him.

"Tch, don't even start, Nejiri. You have no idea how much gramps have been pushing me to do this" Komaza said while looking away.

Nejiri looked at him with concern. "But grandfather is only trying to help you, Komaza. We've been through this subject many times already" he insisted to him before feeling like talking to Komaza at a more personal level. "Look, you always wanted to prove yourself of being useful to the Sand Village, didn't you? Well, the Kazekage just gave you this wonderful opportunity. Don't spoil it" he encouraged his cousin.

Hearing this made Komaza glance at him questionably before he let out a deep sigh. "Fine. I'll do my best to contribute to the Grim Guard, even if it means I'll have to mingle with these jackasses" he then said while motioning his glance at Shira and the two Sand kunoichi accompanying him.

Nejiri took his cousin's hint and glanced at the trio. He could not help but to mope as he saw what Komaza was talking about. "You're telling me that Shira, Sen and Yome are the ones you should worry about? That's just ridiculous, Komaza" he told him before motioning his head towards another trio of members of the Grim Guard, who were seen conversing with members of the Shadow Squad and the Divine Division. "It's people like Satetsu, Isago and Maki should worry about. They were asked by Commander Baki to accompany him in the Grim Guard. While I'm surprised why none of them were made his second-in-command, I can see why Gaara wanted Yutaka to take that spot" he then told Komaza, as he was listening closely.

"Uh huh. You don't say" Komaza remarked while watching the group interact with others. "I better tread lightly while I'm here" he then added to his statement.

Not far from where Sasuke sat, several members of the Divine Division were observing how Juugo, Suigetsu and Karin were interacting with the raven-haired man. These Mist shinobis were the swordsman named Ganryu, the two medics named Kiri and Ruka and two Mist jounins named Gonbe and Heki. All these wore grey vests and camouflage pants, like every member of the Divine Division. As they were standing there, Ganryu could not help but to snicker as he watched Suigetsu interact with Sasuke.

"There he goes. Reuniting with his criminal buddy. My inner instincts are itching to kill that smug bastard" Ganryu noted while glancing angrily at Suigetsu. "I don't understand how Lady Mei and Commander Shachi agreed on sending him to the Divine Division" he then added while gritting his teeth in slight frustration.

Kiri nodded his head in return. "I know. But even Elder Genji insisted on doing that as well. I admit that I feel uncomfortable around Suigestu, as well as that orange-haired madman" the medic noted lowly to his comrades.

"But Karin doesn't seem that threatening compared to those two" Ruka noted as she took a glimpse of the redhead talking with Ino. She couldn't help but to form a slight smile. "So far, Karin has contributed greatly to the Mist Village's Medic Corps. And she really desires to establish herself in the village" she added.

Ganryu simply gruffed while hearing this. "Don't get too soft on her, Ruka. You forget that she participated in the assault on the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron. It's too soon to consider her a comrade" the swordsman noted while narrowing his eyes at the sight of those three ex-criminals.

"Restrain yourself, Ganryu. Now that there's so many shinobis from the Leaf and Sand in here as well, it would be wise not to cause a ruckus here" Kiri encouraged his comrade while glancing at Suigetsu, Juugo and Karin. "Yes, I know that they committed a great mistake, and I would like to teach them a lesson about humility. But after all the lives that was lost during the world war, I can't bear to watch more suffering" the medic admitted while reminiscing about the horrors of the war.

As Ganryu saw this, he could not help but to feel for his comrade, as he knew what the medics were forced to contend with during the wars. He let out a deep sigh before approaching a wall and leaning against it, eventually sitting on the floor. He simply smiled at his comrades.

"I'll just gonna sit here and rest for a while. You four go ahead and have fun" he told them and his comrades understood that Ganryu was tired and needed some rest.

* * *

 _In another room, at the hotel's loft_

While all the members of the Shadow Squad, Grim Guard and the Divine Division were getting to know each other better, their leaders were having their own meeting inside a room in the hotel's loft. It was quite small, yet it was big enough to house all leaders of the expedition without being disturbed. Sitting around the table was the commanders: the Shadow Squad's Yugao Uzuki, with second-in-command Asami Nakano and Captain Ibiki Morino sitting on both of her sides, the Grim Guard's Baki, with Yutaka sitting on his left side and the Divine Division's Shachi Arashiro, with Hyozan Ishiwata sitting on his right side.

"I would like to introduce you all to my second-in-command: Hyozan Ishiwata" the man with the metallic mask said while introducing them the young man with spikey grey hair and white eyes. Hyozan was a man who wore silver earrings that looked like coins. He also wore a teal scarf around him. Like most members of the Divine Division, he wore a grey vest and camouflage pants, as well as holding a mask to use during missions. But what was also noticeable was the scythe-like weapon he carried on his back, which seemed to be his weapon.

Hyozan bowed his head in a gentle manner. "Greetings, friends and allies of the Mist. The Fifth Mizukage and Commander Shachi appointed me to join the Divine Division. Quite the conundrum, I must say" he said while extending his greeting to those around him. "I hope that we will all get to know each other better" he then added while smiling.

Hearing this forced Yutaka to smile at him. "I hope that as well! Hey, how about…." The young woman was interrupted by Baku putting a hand on her shoulder gently. Baki shook his head as a no to her, forcing Yutaka to immediately retract from this foolishness. "I'm sorry, sir" she then said to him.

All those sitting around the table soon focused their attention on the map of the world that was lying in the middle of the table. It was quite big and it gave them a full perspective of the world.

"We're currently in the Land of Waves, a small island nation off the coast of the Land of Fire" Baki said while pointing out their locations to their current location. "From what the locals have told us, cargo ships have been spotted around here as well, yet they never docked" the calm-mannered then added to his explanation.

Shachi was listening to this, carefully. "Yes, they have been sailing through our water, eventually up to the Land of Lightning" the man with the metallic mask added as the blue eyes of his mask glowed. "However, we always suspected that these ships were normal cargo ships, and not those filled with raiders and traffickers" he then added to his explanation.

"But what about this island we suspect those terrorists are staying on: the Island of Tides? Do you Mist ninjas have any maps or navigational knowledge about its location?" Yugao then asked the Commander of the Divine Division.

"Unfortunately, we don't have a map that shows us the location of this island" Shachi revealed, much to the shock of those around him. "And you may as well want to know why we can't locate it. Truth is…..that island was not a real on to begin with" he then revealed grimly to his allies.

Many eyes were widening in shock. "You mean to tell us that the Island of Tides was…" Ibiki was interrupted by Hyozan speaking up.

"Yes. The Island of Tides was raised from the depths. This is the work of some advanced form for earth-based jutsu" the grey-haired man said while stroking his bangs. "But these criminals have somewhat turned it into a cove for their own activities. From what our sources tell us, it's now a shack city filled with nothing but rogue ninjas, criminals, raiders and pirates" he added with an explanation.

The leaders of the Shadow Squad and the Grim Guard were stunned to hear this revelation. "Raising an island from the depths of the ocean…you'll have to be a powerful master at earth-based jutsu to accomplish something like that….someone as powerful as the Tsuchikage" Baki noted warily from what he was listening.

"So you are suggesting that the Tsuchikage has an involvement in this?" Yugao asked him lowly, the young woman still having some form of resentment towards the Sand shinobi.

Baki shook his head as a no. "No. I never said anything about the Tsuchikage being involved any of this matter" he insisted to Yugao, trying to overlook the dirty glance he was given by her.

"Even if that's true, one can't be sure to take this suggestion off the table" the metallic voice of Shachi could be heard. "Don't forget, the Stone Village's leadership has had dealings with criminals and terrorists in the past. How can we forget them hiring the Akatsuki?" he then pointed out to them.

Ibiki nodded his head weakly in return, indicating that he agreed with Shachi's sentiment. "There is truth in your words. But after all the shinobi lives that perished during the war, including Stone shinobis, I can't imagine that the Third Tsuchikage would be so delusional by continuing hiring such groups" the Commander of the Interrogation Squad sad while disclosing the fact. "But considering how the Stone Village has begun isolating itself from foreign affairs recently, it has been hard reaching out to them" he added.

"If I may have interrupt for a minute" the voice came from Asami as she rose her hand up. Yugao nodded her head, thus giving her permission to speak her mind. "As much as I am amazed by someone who could raise an island from the bottom of the ocean, I doubt that the Tsuchikage is involved, let alone the Stone Village" the young teal-haired woman pointed out while suddenly putting some pictures on the table, so that everyone could see what it was. "During the Shadow Squad's recent reconnaissance mission, we investigated one of the abandoned cargo ships near the Great Naruto Bridge. And as you see, one of them shows us corpses of dead Stone and Cloud ninjas" she then told them.

Hyozan was stunned from what he was seeing. "Such ruthlessness" he uttered out lowly while seeing the blood and corpses on the pictures. The grey-haired man quickly looked to his superior. "Commander Shachi, these Uchiha clan symbols written in blood….we saw that also, remember?" he then said to his superior.

"Yes. We once raided a small and abandoned island once" Shachi said while throwing out a picture for those around the table to see. They were all stunned as they could see a giant painting of the Uchiha can symbol in blood on the sail of s ship. "We discovered a cove where an old ship was being docked. Like the island, it was also abandoned. And all that remained was this giant symbol being written in blood" the masked man said, his robot voice echoing in the room.

"This doesn't make any sense. Why would someone do this?" Yutaka asked, her expression filled with disbelief. "These human traffickers have no regard for those they exploit with. It boils me" she then noted with a hint of resentment in her voice.

Baki could not help but to admire how his second-in-command was starting to take this case seriously. But it soon ended, as he refocused his attention on the map, specifically on the waters surrounding the Land of Water. "It looks like finding the criminals' hideout will prove a challenge to us" the stern-mannered man noted while glancing at the map.

Hyozan could not help but to chuckle as he heard what was being said by Baki. It made everyone focus their attention on him, wondering what was so amusing. "You know, we still haven't told you about where we will sail to from here" he then revealed, causing some stunning reactions from the other leaders. "Yeah, searching for the Island of Tides with a ship is a giant pain in the ass. But it would be wise to sail to an island off the coast of the Land of Water. It's a nice place called the Kame Island" he then added to the revelation.

"A nearby island…...why is that necessary?" Yugao asked while wanting to know an answer from either Hyozan or Shachi. "The Leaf Village has just experienced a terrorist attack. What good is there in wasting time on an island?" she then questioned them.

"Because we believe that the Island of Tides is located near it" Shachi then revealed, his answer ringing like a bullet. The man with the metallic mask nodded his head as a yes. "We have received some disturbing news recently with regards to the citizens of that island and they sound dire. From what the Divine Division has gathered, sailors and fishermen have been experiencing looting from raiders" he explained before he pointed his finger on the map where the Kame Island was located. "From what the sailors and the fisherman have told us, they were sailing into a thick fog and got lost in it. While being lost in this fog, pirates and raiders suddenly appeared, stealing all gold, food and other resources from them" he then went on explaining.

"We believe this to be the work of those terrorists and human traffickers. And more importantly, we suspect that this thick fog is actually a ninjutsu" Hyozan told them while making sure they got that clarified.

Ibiki narrowed his eyes when hearing this. "I see. Well that would probably explain how this island can remain hidden from outsiders, but not to those who inhabit it" he noted with caution. "But what I still don't understand is why these criminals would raise an island from the depths to make it their hideout. I believe there must be an answer to that" he then noted while resting his cheek on his right hand.

Shachi suddenly walked up, with Hyozan accompanying him. "I think we better have this talk with the entire expedition once we're onboard the ship. But for now, it would be wise if we all got some rest. There will be a long day ahead of us" the man with the metallic mask said as he walked towards the door. But he wanted to make sure that the others were also coming to him. "Are you also coming?" he asked them.

While Ibiki, Yutaka and Asami had gone up from their seats, Baki and Yugao remained seated, the two commanders facing each other. So far, none of them had spoken a word, their eyes completely fixated upon the other. Shachi eventually understood what they were trying to do.

"I see. They want to have a private discussion on their own" he said.

Ibiki nodded his head in return. "Yes. And I think it would be wise if we gave them this opportunity to talk things through. They need to mend their broken fences" the stern-mannered man noted before glancing at both Asami and Yutaka with a surprisingly gentle smile. "Don't worry. Neither of them will fight. They have been given responsibilities from their superiors. Therefore, it's best if we left them alone" he convinced the two women.

Both Yutaka and Asami eventually understood the situation, and they also went outside the room. Ibiki closed it, leaving Yugao and Baki completely alone in the room. Right now, there was nothing but silence between those two commanders. But that silence ended when Baki finally spoke up.

"What purpose will this serve?" he asked Yugao lowly while facing his counterpart from the Leaf Village. Baki sighed deeply. "I already expressed my sincere regrets for my actions. And I promise you, I won't lay a blade on a Leaf shinobi. What else do I need to do for us to have a cooperative relationship?" he then asked her.

Hearing this made Yugao narrow her brown eyes, not liking what she just heard from him. "Spare me your amnestic appeals, scumbag. Like I said, I'm willing to work in this Triple Entente. Even if it means…..working with a scorpion like you" she then said, trying her best to hide her hostility towards the Sand ninja.

Baki nodded his head weakly towards her. "I admire your wisdom, Yugao Uzuki. But I need to be sure that you are willing to not let your emotions get the best of you" he then spoke to her.

"Emotions? You, lecture me about emotions!?" Yugao asked her, feeling very offended by that question. "Don't you dare lecture me about such things, bastard! What do you know of emotions!? You, who brutally murdered a man who was loved by those around him! A man who could've actually have helped you expose Orochimaru's plans to betray you!" the purple-haired woman demanded an answer while standing up from her seat.

Despite seeing this, Baki remained calm and was seated on his chair. However, Yugao had so far not pulled out her sword, which only indicated that she was willing to restraint her anger towards him. The Commander of the Grim Guard closed his only visible eye.

"It's odd. How is it that you confront me about the murder of Hayate Gekko, when you probably knew who it was that had killed him two years ago?" Baki suddenly asked the purple-haired woman, who was stunned when hearing this. "Yes, even during the world war, you could have confronted me…yet you chose not to. So tell me, what held you back from coming after me?" he then asked her once again, while making sure Yugao was willing to answer him.

As much as she was angry over hearing that question, something prevented Yugao from unleashing it towards Baki. In fact, she faced the table with a somewhat shameful look on her face.

"Because…..I wanted to believe that all the Five Great Hidden Villages could cooperate against a common foe" the purple-haired woman told him, her voice hinting to having honesty. Yugao glanced at Baki, her face completely conflicted. "And while we succeeded in defeating our common enemy, it also resulted in so many lives getting thrown away for no reason. After the war, I could not help but to cry over the many shinobi lives that had been thrown away like they were nothing but trash. I even stood and cried over their coffins!" Yugao suddenly found tears streaming from her eyes and she couldn't stop them.

Baki had to admit he felt sorry for the young woman. True, he had taken the life of someone very dear to her. He also remembered how many great shinobis had been resurrected as slaves to be used against the Allied Shinobi Forces. Watching friends battling each other was a terrible experience for all of them to witness.

"It would seem that we share something in common, Yugao Uzuki" Baki spoke while glancing at the purple-haired woman with a slight smile. It made Yugao curious to why he did that. "We both have remorse towards those whose lives have been wasted. That fact alone only proves that you and I can still cooperate" he explained how similar he and Yugao really were.

Yugao was not sure whether to thank Baki or reject his compliment. She actually had a mixed reaction when hearing this. But above all, she no longer thought about killing Baki. Instead, something else had popped into her head. It was not willingness to cooperate with Baki. Rather, it was her willingness to at least tolerate his appearance.

The young woman turned around and walked towards the door to open it. But she looked over her shoulder to face Baki, who remained seated on his chair. Yugao sighed deeply before speaking. "I'm going to sleep. All this talk about the past has made me stressed out. We'll talk again tomorrow" those were the words she said to the Sand jounin before exiting.

Now, it was Baki's turn to have a mixed reaction on his face. He was not sure if this meant Yugao had forgiven him or not. But still, he had to smile. Maybe his words had managed to convince Yugao to move on from her grief, instead of being stuck in the past.

* * *

 _Inside a cavern, the Island of Tides_

As the night descended upon the world, there was still activity in the caverns on the Island of Tides. Instead of going to sleep, the many criminals, ruffians, raiders and rouge ninjas were having fun doing all kinds of activities in their shack city. Among the many activities they did was drinking, singing and dancing at the bar. Many drunkards were already in their own world while the music was being played. In fact, some of them were too drunk to even stand up properly. They were lying on the wooden floor, eventually throwing up. However, none of the other drunkards ever bothered helping those who had succumbed to the blurriness of alcohol.

But amidst this drunken chaos, the Ebon Dragon was sitting by himself on the bar's balcony overlooking the shack city. For some reason, he wanted to be alone and away from his cohorts for a while. Their meeting with this mysterious Toneri Otsutsuki had forced the Ebon Dragon to rethink some of his motives for living this kind of life in the criminal underworld. However, something else overcame his thoughts and it made him forget about Toneri.

"Damn. How the hell did I actually end up here?" the Ebon Dragon wondered while taking a sip from his cup. Something was bothering him constantly. "I just wanted to lay low and plan my attack on the Cloud Village and that mongrel who leads it" he then said, recalling his motives for joining in this trio.

The black-hooded man removed one of his coat's sleeves, thus revealing an injury he was given to by someone not long ago. It was a scar that ran across his muscular right arm. From the looks of it, it seemed like someone had used lightning to injure the Ebon Dragon's right arm. The hooded stranger still recalled who it was that had done this to him.

"A….you arrogant son of a bitch" he muttered bitterly while mentioning the name of the Fourth Raikage. "This scar will remind me of what kind of a bastard you really are" he then said, pulling his right sleeve over the arm. Obviously, the Ebon Dragon had some bad history with A. Why he had such, remained a mystery to most, except for those in the Cloud Village.

"Enjoying some time on your own?" the Ebon Dragon was interrupted in his thinking when he could hear the voice of the Azure Dragon calling to him. Looking to his left side, he spotted his cohort standing there with his sword resting on his shoulders. The two glanced at one other before the Azure Dragon spoke up again. "Hey. I asked you a question. Aren't you gonna respond?" he then asked his muscular comrade.

The Ebon Dragon did not seem impressed. "I thought I made myself clear to you. I wanted some time alone. Why're you still bugging me?" he then asked the Azure Dragon in annoyance.

"Tch, you know it pays to be polite, Ebon Dragon" the Azure Dragon told his partner-in-crime, only for him to feel irritated over this. "Why do we refer to us by our codenames here, anyway!? We can just call ourselves with our real names. Wouldn't you agree, Hiruko?" the young man asked the Ebon Dragon smugly while referring to him by name.

The Ebon Dragon only glanced at him, not saying any word in return. But he quickly returned his focus on his cup, not giving much thought about what his comrade just told him. "If you say so, Nagisa" he replied, referring to the Azure Dragon by his real name.

The Azure Dragon shrugged his shoulders while walking towards the end of the balcony to enjoy the view. Along the way, he grabbed the bottle that stood on a nearby table. He popped its cork and proceeded to drink from it. "I presume you wanted to get away from Mr. Smartass, am I right?" the swordsman asked Hiruko, referring to the Crimson Dragon as Mr. Smartass. "Ya know what? I also did. He gets occasionally cranky and it chaps my hide" Nagisa admitted to his partner.

"Hmmm. Where is he, by the way?" Hiruko asked him, wanting to know where the team leader was.

"He said that he needed to go to sleep. I asked if he wanted to join me, but he insisted on staying in his quarters. Talk about having problems with socializing" Nagisa answered Hiruko's question.

"I see" Hiruko noted before he drank up what was left in his cup. "Hey Nagisa, how do you think about this man we met: Toneri Otsutsuki? You think he's trustworthy?" the hooded man asked his comrade, wanting to know what his opinions were.

Nagisa turned around to glance at him. "What I think? How would I know? We just met like 3 hours ago" he told him, as if this was not weighing much on his mind. "But when you look at the way that smug bastard talked, you could tell that he had something on his mind. He plans on destroying the whole world while making the Hyuuga clan his slaves? I've never heard such a screwed-up plan before" he then explained Hiruko what he thought about Toneri while musing over thinking about his goals.

"But just remember, Nagisa" Hiruko spoke up, thus cathing his comrade's attention. "We may be in this business, but we do things what we feel like doing. Not on the Crimson Dragon's orders, not on Toneri's orders and not on anyone else's" he declared, signaling his will to not let his destiny be dictated by anyone.

Nagisa had to laugh when he heard this. "I know, I know. You have my full understanding, Hiruko" the hooded man said before putting the bottle back on the table he found it. "And why do you still call him by his codename? When he's not around us, we can just refer to him by his real name. Honestly, I don't get what that guy's so sensitive about when it comes to his name" Nagisa pointed out to his comrade.

"I don't know about this, myself. But if there's one thing we both know, it's that Saizo is as scary as hell" Hiruko noted, referring to the Crimson Dragon by his real name, which was Saizo.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: This chapter was focused on the Shadow Squad, the Grim Guard and the Divine Division getting to know each other. Here we met Karin, Juugo and Suigetsu, old crime partners of Sasuke. They have now thrown their lot with the Mist Village. I also want to remind you that some of the characters you read about in this chapter, like Shira, Mikoshi and Ganryu, are anime-exclusive characters only. But I thought they would match in well with these groups. Many members of the Grim Guard are Sand shinobis who've had minor roles in the canon story. I decided to make Komaza and Nejiri cousins, given that I thought they resembled each other in terms of being Sand ninjas. We also met with a new OC, Hyozan Ishiwata, who is Shachi's second-in-command, as well as a new member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. And then we discovered that those three hooded dragons have a name. But who are they really? Only time will tell. In the next chapter, I will probably focus on the Leaf Village, as it will be in for a surprise when it gets a visitor. But until then, take care!**


	14. An Unexpected Proposal

**Author's note: Attention to all of those who think Hinata may have acted weird and out of control in this story. Yes, she has. I know you're all used to her being shy and all, but having this intimate scene with Kiba was part of my plan. How will she react after this? Will she consider pursuing a relationship with Kiba? That's what I wanted to inform you. Hinata is still Hinata, despite this story being M rated and having major mature and sexual content. And trust me, even Kishimoto himself did various experimentation with the characters' personalities, though Hinata was not one of them. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: An Unexpected Proposal**

 _In the gardens of the Hyuuga clan, Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

The night had arrived in the Leaf Village, but not everyone was sleeping. Some were still up and doing business as usual. Among those who were up was Hinata Hyuuga. The young bluenette was now sitting on a bench in the Hyuuga clan's personal gardens and she had been doing that for a long time now. Hinata was currently in deep thought at the moment and she had a reason to be so.

Ever since the date with Kiba, which had resulted in them being very intimate and sexual to one another, Hinata had not been feeling like herself. The young woman was not sure about how to tackle this feeling. She had always been curious about what it meant to have sexual desires. But now, she no longer held such interests. Hinata felt so much conflicted in her mind right now. After Kiba left her, she had participated in a meeting with her clan.

During that meeting, her father Hiashi had strictly told him not to marry someone from any other clan. He had decided that if Hinata was to be married to someone, it would have to be a pure Hyuuga. But it was his threat that made Hinata very worried.

"I do not want you to get intimate with Kiba Inuzuka. He is not to be nowhere near this property and you! The same goes for the rest of his clan of mutts!" Hinata recalled how strict Hiashi had told her. "If I catch you and that miserable worm engaged in any kind of activity, he will suffer the consequences! Do I make myself clear, Hinata!?" the warnings from her father kept hanging in her mind as if a ghost was possessing her mind.

Hinata sighed deeply and faced the ground with her bright eyes. "Why…...why did it have to end this way?" she wondered while starting to feel sad on the inside. "Why did I have to fall in love with Kiba so early? Was it because I was…afraid of being left alone?" Hinata continued to question her recent behavior, especially when it came to love.

True, Hinata was always known to be a shy and reserved lady. But yesterday, she did the unthinkable and had sex with Kiba. But how would this go from now on? Would it be better if Hinata had never started developing these feelings towards Kiba and keep focusing on winning Naruto's heart? Hinata felt as if she had dragged Kiba into something he did not deserve to be in. In fact, the young bluenette had started to realize something: her desire to know more about sexuality had somewhat destroyed her independence. Yes, she never really wanted to experience sex. She only desired to feel real love.

"I think I may have made a mistake engaging in this activity with Kiba…...look where that got me now…or where that got Kiba…...I feel like an idiot right now" Hinata said while feeling insecure about herself. "I never really thought about the consequences of such relationship. My naivety got the best of me and it completely ruined my self-awareness" she then realized as tears slowly started to drop from her eyes.

The young Hyuuga-heiress was now starting to realize that she had chosen to find love the wrong way and that it had led to terrible results, not just on her part, but also on Kiba's part. Thinking about what mess she had caused made Hinata cry, and she sobbed while holding her hands onto her face. If only she could go back in time and undo all those mistakes of hers.

"Why are you crying?" Hinata stopped sobbing when she could hear an unfamiliar voice calling to her. The bluenette moved her hands away to see a tall man standing right before her. Hinata snapped as she saw him standing so close. It made her almost falling off the bench, yet she managed to climb back on it. This man had pale skin, shaggy white hair, attractive facial features, and six magatama designs tattooed on his collarbones. For some reason, his eyelids were closed. His choice of clothes was also unique to Hinata's standards. He wore white, high-collared kimono with a black obi, over which he wore a pale green sash tied at the right shoulder. Beneath his robes he wore black fingerless gloves, long black pants and black shinobi sandals. This man was someone Hinata had never seen before.

"Who a-are…you!?" Hinata asked while glancing up to the man. But she felt even more shocked by the fact he was able to bypass the security around the Hyuuga mansion. "And how did you manage to get pass the mansion's security!?" she wanted an answer from him, starting to feel intimidated by this man's posture.

So far, the man never opened his eyes. He also remained still and didn't move a muscle. "My name is Toneri Otsutsuki" the strange man finally introduced himself before taking small steps towards Hinata, who remained seated on the bench. "And I have come for you, Hinata Hyuuga" he then told her.

Hinata was utterly stunned to hear what this man's intention was. "Y-You have come for me? B-But I don't even know you" the Hyuuga-heiress said, her heart pounding faster as she took notice of Toneri's steps. "W-What is it you really you want from me?" she then asked, this time feeling very insecure about this man.

"You don't have to worry, Hinata. I mean you no harm" Toneri assured her. The young man even began reaching out his left hand to her. "Please, come with me. It is what is already written in the stars above us" Toneri told her, once again asking for Hinata to come with him.

The young bluenette was feeling uncomfortable with this. She was thinking about confronting whoever this man was. But she stopped once she heard a familiar voice calling to her. Hinata snapped as he realized who that was.

"Lady Hinata!" the voice came from the young clansman named Ko Hyuuga. He had once been a caretaker for Hinata when she was just a young girl. Ko had managed to get a glimpse of Toneri standing not far from the Hyuuga-heiress. He immediately rushed to save her, even activating his Byakugan. "Who are you!? And how dare you set foot in the Hyuuga clan's personal gardens!?" he demanded an answer from Toneri while charging towards him.

Hinata snapped in fear when she saw this. "KO! GET AWAY FROM…." The young woman was interrupted as she saw Toneri point his right hand towards Ko.

"Seize him!" Toneri spoke out firmly and something happened to Ko. The young man found himself getting attacked by people dressed in black garbs which covered their bodies. Ko was caught by surprise as those stranger ninjas pinned him down, eventually holding him as a hostage. Toneri took notice of Ko and the power he possessed. "Keep him alive. I require his Chakra" the young man commanded his servants and they obeyed his command.

"HIS…...CHAKRA!?" Hinata was outraged over what she heard from Toneri.

Toneri approached Ko, who was being held hostage by his servants. The mysterious man created a green orb that floated above his right hand. He moved his orb closer to Ko, who desperately tried to resist this action.

"You sick bastard…YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS OUTRAGE!" Ko yelled at him, only to feel himself getting weaker by the minute. His bright eyes even started to feel tired and there were little signs of energy in that man's body.

"While I am at it, I may as well pass on a little message to your fellow Hyuugas. Let them know that I have come here to claim what is mine" Toneri said as his green orb continued to absorb chakra from Ko. "They are all to come out here and listen to my declarations and demands!" he then concluded before he dismantled the green orb.

As soon as Toneri was finished, Ko fell onto the ground unconscious. He did not say any word as he was lying on the dirt. Hinata was utterly shocked and angered at the same time. She glanced at Toneri, who had just returned his focus on her.

"You…YOU MONSTER!" Hinata yelled at him in anger, going as far as to activate her Byakugan. She even prepared her Gentle Fist Art stance, facing Toneri with gritting teeth. The young bluenette was willing to fight him. "How dare you do this to Ko!? You'll regret it!" she snapped at him, feeling a fire burn within her.

Toneri simply glanced at her with a deep frown, indicating that he knew that Hinata was planning on fighting him. "Why does this man matter so much to you? After all, he is nothing but a mere servant" Toneri told her as honest as he could.

Hinata felt anger for a long time. She could not stand when somebody was badmouthing an honest Hyuuga like Ko. "Don't you ever call him that! He's not a servant!" she snapped and began charging straight towards Toneri, who remained still doing nothing. "Eight Trigrams Air Palm!" Hinata exclaimed while she moved her right handpalm towards Toneri's face. But before her attack could even land, Toneri grabbed Hinata's arm, this stopping her attack. Hinata was stunned over seeing how fast the reflexes of this man was.

"Please, don't do anything foolish such as this, Hinata. I would rather not resort to violence with you" Toneri spoke up, his grip on Hinata's right arm firm and tight. "But if you insist on being so stubborn, then you leave me no choice. You are coming with me, one way or another" the young man then issued a threat to the Hyuuga-heiress.

Hinata was amazed and scared at the same time by how firm Toneri's grip on her arm was. But she now realized that this man was indeed dangerous. "L-Let me go" Hinata told him yet he didn't respond to her. She felt more frustrated by the minute. "I said let go of me, you monster!" she said trying to lose herself from Toneri's grip. But it didn't work.

"I cannot let go of you of" Toneri spoke up, glancing at Hinata with his closed eyelids. "You and I are destined to become married. Our marriage will herald a new era for the Otsutsuki clan" he then told her.

The Hyuuga-heiress stopped resisting and glanced at him with an outraged expression. She could not believe what he was saying to her. "Me marrying you? I don't understand!" she snapped at him.

"You don't have to understand it, Hinata. Our marriage has been foretold since ancient times" Toneri told her.

"Hinata!" the male voice came from Hiashi Hyuuga, who was now being accompanied by other important members of the Hyuuga clan, including Hinata's younger sister Hanabi and clansmen like Hoheto and Iroha. But once the clan head saw Toneri holding her daughter's right arm, he was shocked. "No…it is….you" Hiashi said, his voice filled with fear.

Toneri took notice of the group of Hyuugas arriving in the gardens and he let go of Hinata's arm, taking steps towards the group. The pale-skinned man even formed as smile in the process. "Ah, I see that you have received my message. The strongest of the Hyuugas: Hiashi Hyuuga and his youngest daughter: Hanabi. I have been expecting you" Toneri said, his statement directed towards Hiashi and Hanabi.

The middle-aged man scowled from what he was seeing. "I was told in my dreams about you…...last descendant of Hamura Otsutsuki. I first refused to believe the visions you have me, but now…you are here on Earth…." Hiashi noted lowly, even though he was furious on the inside. "Now explain yourself! Why have you come here!?" he demanded an answer out of the mysterious man.

Toneri's smile immediately changed into a deep frown. "Isn't that an ignorant question for you to ask of me? You know very well why I have descended upon this world. I have come here to take what is rightfully mine and fulfill the lifelong wish of my ancestor: destroying this world!"" he told the clan head and the Hyuugas around him. Toneri clenched his fists. "For too long, mankind has avoided punishment for their arrogance! But I will see to it being delivered! None of you can avoid the judgment you have been given!" the mysterious man added loudly to his dark proclamation.

All the Hyuugas were shocked to hear what came out of that man's words. It became abundantly clear to them that he was someone who had to be stopped. Otherwise, he could become a danger to all hidden villages, if not the entire world.

"If all of you look up to the dark sky, you will see a crescent moon. That is the same crescent moon that will destroy this world and everything that infests on it!" Toneri told them while pointing a finger up towards the bright moon. "Even now, I alone have the ability to move the entire Moon, as well as cut it into half. I have done it. I will use the Moon's other half to destroy the Sage's world as punishment for weaponizing Chakra!" he then continued with this dark proclamation.

Hiashi had enough of hearing this nonsense. Without warning, he charged towards Toneri, activating his Byakugan in the process. The head of the Hyuuga clan was determined to put an end to Toneri. "YOU SHALL NOT THREATEN US!" Hiashi yelled as he prepared to land an attack on the mysterious man. But before he even knew it, Toneri vanished from his sight and it astounded the middle-aged man. "WHAT!? WHERE DID HE…" he wondered in outrage.

"FATHER! BEHIND YOU!" Hanabi yelled in shock, but it was too late. Hiashi felt himself getting attacked by Toneri from behind. Toneri put his handpalm on Hiashi's back, thus sending shockwaves throughout his body. It was extremely painful for Hiashi to feel and blood sprouted out from his mouth and nose. The powerful head of the Hyuuga clan fell powerless before Toneri. But he was still breathing, yet critically injured. The Hyuugas were horrified from seeing this pain Hiashi was in.

"FATHER!" Hinata yelled out in outrage over seeing the condition her father had been reduced to. The bluenette glared at Toneri, her bright eyes burning with anger. "YOU BASTARD!" she yelled out towards him and was about to charge at Toneri in anger, only for somebody to grab her from behind, thus holding her hostage. It was two servants of Toneri. As she was held by them, Toneri walked towards her, creating a green orb above his hand once again. He was now intending on absorbing her chakra.

Hanabi, who had been devastated by seeing her father reduced to this, quickly took notice of Hinata getting captured. The teenage girl knew that her sister was in trouble and ran straight towards Toneri furiously. "YOU WON'T LAY A HAND ON MY SISTER, YOU FILFTHY SON OF A….." Hanabi stopped as she could spot Toneri turn around to block her way. But he was also moving towards the teenage girl.

Hanabi was paralyzed when Toneri suddenly put his left handpalm on her face. She couldn't move a muscle against him. Toneri never let go of Hanabi. "This should silence you for a while" he said before sending shockwaves throughout the young teenager's body. Hanabi immediately sprouted out blood from her nose and mouth and she fell powerless on her back. The teenage girl had now lost her consciousness, with her orange kimono getting covered in blood.

"HANABI!" Hinata cried out in distress when seeing what Toneri had just done to her younger sister. Tears were streaming from her bright eyes.

The Hyuugas clansmen were once again horrified by Toneri's actions, especially since he was willing to do attack a young teenager. "Lady Hanabi…" Iroha uttered out, his bright eyes focused on the lying girl covered in blood. The other Hyuugas were doing the same thing. But many of them soon felt enragement taking hold on their minds, their Byakugans being activated in the process. Iroha led the charge. "YOU WILL DIE, DEMON!" Iroha yelled in anger while leading the Hyuugas.

"KILL THAT BASTARD!" Hoheto shouted as he also charged towards Toneri.

But the group of Hyuugas were in for a surprise when men dressed in black garbs suddenly appeared before them, blocking their way to Toneri. It was apparent that they would be taking care of the Hyuugas as their master had called for their aid.

"Take care of those Hyuugas. But don't kill them. I need them all alive!" Toneri commanded his servants and they obeyed without question. The man with the closing eyelids then refocused his attention on Hinata, who was struggling to free herself from the clutches of his servants. Even now, she was more distressed than ever. Toneri held his green orb close to her and soon, Hinata stopped resisting. "I will not steal everything from you, Hinata. As my future wife, you will need all this extraordinary power. But now, rest easy and embrace your future on the Moon" Toneri told Hinata as she became weaker by the minute.

As Hinata started to lose her consciousness, Toneri felt satisfied. However, the pale-skinned man felt something coming towards him and it turned out to be true. Disintegrating his green orb, Toneri used his right elbow to block the incoming attack from his right side. The one who had done that was Naruto, the blonde-haired man furious over what he was seeing.

But Naruto was not arriving alone. Even now, Tsunade, Kakashi, Sakura, Shikamaru, Lee, Tenten and Chouji had now arrived at the Hyuuga clan's personal gardens, hoping to assist the Hyuugas against these interlopers.

Toneri fixed his glance upon Naruto, who had already jumped backwards and landed on the ground. His blue eyes were filled with determination. "Who the hell are you!? And what have you done to Hinata and all the Hyuugas!?" the blonde-haired man demanded an answer out of the pale-skinned man.

"I see" Toneri noted as Naruto glared at him. "You must be the infamous Naruto Uzumaki, carrier of the Nine-Tailed Fox: Kurama. I am humbled to finally meet you in person" Toneri then spoke to Naruto, recalling all the things he had heard from him.

Naruto had to admit he was stunned when he heard that this stranger possessing knowledge about his reputation. However, he quickly narrowed his blue eyes, not willing to let Toneri's words persuade him.

"Spare me your bullshit! What the hell do you think you're doing in the Leaf Village!?" Naruto barked at him.

Tsunade, Kakashi and Sakura appeared at his side, with the Hokage taking the lead of this group of Leaf shinobis who had arrived to help the Hyuugas. "It's useless to hide your motivations from us. Your speech was so loud that we could hear every sentence in it. That alone is enough to confirm that you are a madman" the Fifth Hokage told Toneri sternly. "And from the looks of it…...you have done something to Hinata, Hanabi, Hiashi and Ko. You'll pay for that!" she said after getting a glimpse of the current conditions of Hinata, Hiashi and Ko.

Despite hearing that they knew about his plans, Toneri didn't seem to mind. "Hmmmm. If you heard me, then you all know what the future holds for you. It is bleak as darkness itself" Toneri told them while stretching out his hands so that the moonlight reflected on his sleeves. It was apparent that he wanted to show them the crescent moon above them. "Gaze above you, dwellers of this world! With each second, the Moon moves closer to destroying this pitiful world! Such will be the punishment on mankind!" he then boasted out proudly.

"Destroying the world with the Moon!?" Naruto stated the sentence in utter disbelief.

"Have you lost your mind!? How in the world can you do this!?" Kakashi asked out to Toneri. "Why do you seek to end mankind when they have just achieved peace in a long time!?" he asked one more time.

Before Kakashi could even receive an answer, something else happened in the skies above the Leaf Village. From what the shinobis of the Leaf could see, it looked as if a swarm of flying giant birds. But there was more to these birds. They were mounted by Toneri's puppets. These riders were preparing to mount an aerial assault on the Leaf Village.

"What the hell…what are those things!?" Shikamaru asked while looking up to the skies.

"It's an entire army of…...giant, flying birds" Chouji remarked from what he was seeing. But the chubby man could notice the riders mounting them. "Wait! Those flying birds are mounted! Look closely!" he said to his comrades.

"They're headed straight towards the Leaf Village!" Lee yelled.

The riders turned their attention on the Hyuuga mansion. They began firing beams from their hands. But other riders soon jumped off the birds and began launching attack on the Leaf Village.

"Damn! These bastards are planning an invasion!" Tsunade cursed before turning her attention to Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi. "I'll have to head back to the tower and call for an emergency meeting about this attack! In the meantime, we also need to mount a counterattack against these invaders before they gain a foothold on the village!" she then told them.

Kakashi nodded his head in return. "Good idea! It's best if we make sure those who can fight are notified about this. And more importantly, something is odd about these men" Kakashi noted as he held an arm belonging to one of these black garbed men. Those around the masked men became shocked. "These aren't living humans, Lady Tsunade. They're puppets!" he told her.

"What? Puppets!?" Sakura exclaimed while looking at the men dressed in black garbs, as well as the flying birds and their raiders. "Then those giant birds must be puppets as well! But who's controlling them!?" Sakura asked while feeling distressed over seeing them so endlessly.

Naruto fixed his glare on Toneri, who was still standing near Hinata. "I think we all know the answer to that, Sakura. And he's standing over there!" he told them. His friends understood what he meant. It was Toneri who was controlling those puppets. "We must act! If we stop him, those puppets will no longer work" the blonde-haired man declared.

"NARUTO, WATCH OUT!" Sakura said and pulled Naruto away from getting blasted by the enemy flyers. The other Leaf shinobis were forced to do that as well. The flying puppets were shooting to form a line that separated the Leaf shinobis from the Hyuugas.

Many giant puppet birds began descending upon the Hyuuga clan's personal gardens. One by one, the Hyuugas were loaded upon the birds. Even Toneri had found himself a bird, while carrying an unconscious Hinata with her. The man with the closed eyelids glanced down upon the Leaf shinobis as his bird took off.

"NO! THEY'RE TAKING HINATA AND HER FAMILY!" Sakura yelled in shock as she could see the Hyuugas on the flying birds.

Naruto saw this and became enraged. "NO! GET BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!" yelled in anger while he summoned a couple of Shadow Clones to his side. He was now preparing a powerful Rasenshuriken to throw it towards Toneri. "WIND STYLE: RASENSHURIKEN!" he yelled and threw it up in the air. It headed straight towards Toneri and his bird.

However, Toneri took notice of the Rasenshuriken heading towards him and he created a forcefield of Chakra that protected him from the incoming attack. As powerful as the Rasenshuriken was, it was not enough to break Toneri's forcefield. Naruto snapped in anger as he saw this.

"YOU WON'T TAKE HINATA AND HER FAMILY!" Naruto yelled at Toneri. "GIVE THEM BACK!" he did it again.

Toneri felt like he was high enough for him and the other birds to fly away. However, he wanted to leave the villagers of the Leaf a final message before disappearing. "THERE IS NO HOPE FOR YOU, VERMIN. IN ABOUT FEW DAYS, I WILL DESTROY THIS WORLD FOR THEIR ARROGANCE. THE FINAL WISH OF MY ANCESTOR WILL BE DONE! AND IF YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME, THEN COME TO MY REALM! I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU TO ARRIVE ON THE MOON, WHERE I CAN KILL YOU ALL AND MAKE AN EXAMPLE TO ALL THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO STAND AGAINST TONERI OTSUTSUKI! ENJOY YOUR FINAL DAYS, WORMS! FOR THE END OF THE SAGE'S WORLD DRAWS NEAR!" he bellowed while finishing this speech of his.

As soon as Toneri was finished with his speech, a bright light erupted in the sky and it blinded all the shinobis before them. It was apparent that Toneri was also using the power of the Moon itself to blind these shinobis. Whatever it was, it was a perfect tool to keep them distracted while he was taking the Hyuuga clan away. Or perhaps a better term for that would be kidnapping. He had gotten what he had wished. What happened next, only time could tell. Because the end of their world was near.

* * *

 _The next day, at the Hokage Tower_

Kiba Inuzuka was running furiously in the hallway. Akamaru was following his partner with a hint of worry, which was unusual for a dog like him to do. The young man of the Inuzuka clan had heard it all, about what happened in the Leaf Village during the night. While he was sleeping during Toneri's infiltration, he had been awoken into battle when puppets invaded the village. He and his family had been forced to defend their home from the invaders. The defense was successful.

But the rude awakening from the invaders had not been the one to trigger his anger. It was something far more serious and personal. Kiba busted the door to Tsunade's office and angrily entered, with Akamaru tagging along. The young man was pissed and there was one man he was after. "WHERE'S THAT SORRY SON OF A BITCH!?" Kiba yelled, demanding to know where Naruto was. Inside Tsunade's office, all of Kiba's friends were inside as well. They were stunned to see Kiba's outrageous behavior in front of the Hokage herself. But Kiba didn't seem to care. He eventually found Naruto standing beside Sakura and Kakashi. Anger boiled inside of Kiba, so he walked towards the blonde-haired man, ready for a confrontation. "YOU FUCKING PIECE OF…." Kiba was held and prevented from going to him by Shino and Chouji.

"Woah, easy there, Kiba! Take a chill pill!" Chouji said, trying his best to prevent Kiba from reaching Naruto. "He doesn't listen to me! You think you can help me, Shino?" the chubby man then asked the man with sunglasses

Shino was frowning by seeing Kiba's impulsiveness getting hold on him. "Stop acting ridiculous, Kiba! It's not Naruto's fault!" the dark brown-haired man told his impulsive teammate while trying to make him see reason. "Hinata's abduction is no one's fault! You know that" Shino added, yet Kiba was too stubborn to listen to reason.

"GET OFF ME! I'M GONNA FLATTEN THAT ASSHOLE TO A PULP!" Kiba yelled and he glared at Naruto, who so far, glanced at the brown-haired man with a sympathetic glance on his face. But that didn't stop Kiba from wanting to confront him. "And people call you a hero…" the brown-haired man muttered lowly.

"Kiba…you're not the only one who's upset about Hinata being captures" Naruto told him. "I am that too, believe me" he added while hoping to make Kiba see reason.

Kiba gritted his feral teeth in anger. "Don't push it, Naruto! Just because you're some hero who stuck up for an ex-criminal, you think you're fucking special!? FUCK YOU AND FUCK HIM!" he yelled at Naruto while indirectly mentioning Sasuke.

Hearing this made Naruto snap and he actually felt offended when hearing this. "Hey! You take that back! AND LEAVE SASUKE OUT OF THIS!" Naruto barked back, with Sakura and Kakashi trying to prevent him from going at Kiba.

"OH? THEN I'LL LEAVE YOUR BOYFRIEND OUT OF THIS, YOU FAGGOT!" Kiba then hit back, this enraging Naruto further.

Naruto could not stand back and let Kiba badmouth his friendship with Sasuke with such disrespect. He proceeded to confront Kiba, only for Sakura and Naruto to hold him back.

"Calm yourself, Naruto" Kakashi told his student while never letting go of him.

"Yeah, you're better than this!" Sakura pointed out while fixing her emerald eyes on Kiba. "And you! How dare you badmouth Sasuke!? Apologize for what you just said about him, Kiba!" she then demanded an apology from Kiba.

The brown-haired man was not feeling like apologizing and it made him only more dismissive of Team Kakashi. "Like hell I'll do that! You and that fudge-packer you're holding onto are too fixated on helping Sasuke, more than you are on helping those who really need it!" Kiba then spat out towards Sakura and Naruto.

Naruto felt himself getting very pissed over hearing Kibas badmouthing not just him, but also his girlfriend. It made him lose cool. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING A FUDGE-PACKER!? I DARE TO SAY IT IN FRONT OF MY FACE AGAIN!" the blonde-haired man yelled while shouting at the top of his lungs towards Kiba.

The two hotheaded shinobis were on the brink of fighting each other. Hadn't it been for those restraining them, things could've get very ugly. But both Naruto and Kiba quit their heated argument once Tsunade raised her voice, loud enough for everyone in the building to hear.

"ENOUGH OF THIS FOOLISHNESS!" Tsunade said, her voice so loud that it made everyone not speak a word. All eyes were on the blonde-haired Hokage as she sighed deeply after using her strict voice. "Everyone, calm down. What happened to the Hyuugas was very tragic and unfortunate. None of us had expected a man like him to be pulling this on the Leaf Village. And just when we had gotten over the terrorist act at the Aburame Clan Wedding" Tsunade explained what she thought about this situation.

"Lady Tsunade, is it possible that this could have something to do with the Crimson Dragon?" Shizune asked the Hokage while trying to be respectful towards Tsunade as possible. "I'm not saying it's the truth, but considering that we were making preparations to combat these terrorists, perhaps this Toneri Otsutsuki used this opportunity to infiltrate the village" she then told the Hokage what she felt.

Tsunade closed her eyes while thinking about it. "Although we can't take this suggestion off the table, I find it very hard to believe that a trio of terrorists would assist a man who desires the end of the world. But then again, yesterday's attack and the one at the wedding does have some similarities. Like, specific clan they were targeting" the Hokage stated her opinion on the matter.

"But that's the least of our worries" Kakashi spoke up while facing Tsunade. "Tsunade, from what this Toneri Otsutsuki said, it sounded like he really was planning on destroying the Earth. Even now, I have begun noticing the Moon up in the skies" the masked man informed her while taking a glance outside the window.

"I know. And it will only be a matter of time before the other Five Great Hidden Villages will take notice of this as well" Tsunade said while closing her eyes to think. "I'm afraid that we'll have to notify the entire shinobi world on what happened here in the night. I have sent messengers to both the Sand and Mist Villages. But we'll have to reach beyond our allies in the Triple Entente. The Cloud and Stone Villages must be informed" the Hokage concluded on what to do now.

Many of those shinobis standing before them were surprised to hear her suggestion. "But Lady Tsunade, are you sure that the Cloud and Stone Villages will agree to have a talk with us? They've been isolating themselves ever since the war ended" Shikamaru asked her, feeling uncertain about whether this would work.

Tsunade fixed a determined glance on Shikamaru and all the other young shinobis who stood before her. "Isolated or not, we still have to reach out to them. At threat like this is more than enough for them to set aside their stubbornness and pride" the Fifth Hokage told Shikamaru while making sure the others were listening to what was being said.

Naruto had to grin when he heard the Cloud Village being mentioned. "There's no wat that the Cloud Village would ignore a threat like this. Heck, I can even send a letter to Killer B and inform him about what's transpired" the blonde-haired man told them while recalling the Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tailed Ox: Gyuki. Even after the war had ended, Naruto had still kept in touch with Killer B. "But problem is, Octopops doesn't' spend much time in the Cloud Village these days, ya know. From what I've heard, he's determined to become the famous rapper in the world" Naruto then spoke up while sweating a little when thinking about B's current whereabouts.

Shikamaru cooked an eyebrow when hearing this. "Seriously? Isn't he supposed to be one of the Cloud Village's main protectors?" he asked Naruto.

"Let's just say that B possesses the same stubbornness as I do" Naruto quickly replied, not knowing how to respond to Shikamaru's question with a concrete answer.

"Alright! Enough of this chit-chat bullshit!" the angry voice of Kiba could be heard in the entire office, if not in the entire Hokage's Tower. The young clansman of the Inuzuka clan was still feeling very angry over this situation. "Honestly, I could care less about the Stone or Cloud Villages, let alone the world getting destroyed! Hinata's been captured for God's sake!" he then exclaimed out of frustration.

Shino frowned when seeing his teammate act so impulsive. "We are all aware of that, Kiba!" the man with the sunglasses sternly told his teammate, thus forcing Kiba to focus his attention on him. "All of us know that Hinata and her family are in grave danger. Who knows what this madman has in store for them" Shino expressed his worried about Hinata's captivity.

"SO WHAT ARE WE ALL STANDING HERE FOR!? I'M GOING ON MY OWN TO FIND…" Kiba was about to turn around and walk away, only to receive a hard slap on his right cheek by someone he had never expected to be given from. It was his own teacher: Kurenai Yuhi. The shinobis around them were stunned to see the crimson-eyed woman to this to someone like Kiba. He simply glanced at her with eyes of surprise, rubbing his sore cheek. "Kurenai-sensei….what are you doing…" the young man uttered out lowly while glancing at Kurenai.

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT LOOK, KIBA! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHY I DID THIS!" Kurenai openly lashed out against her impulsive student, who was taken aback by this kind of behavior. Kurenai gritted her teeth in irritation while facing Kiba. "YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO'S UPSET WITH HINATA BEING KIDNAPPED!? YOU'RE AN IDIOT! AND A SELFISH NARCISSIST!" Kurenai then yelled out more slurs towards Kiba, who only stood and listened to what his teacher said about him.

"Kurenai-sensei seems to have a point" Kakashi suddenly spoke up, standing beside Kurenai. "None can dispute the fact that you want to save Hinata. But you're not alone. Many of us want to. She and the Hyuuga clan are part of the Leaf Village. I take it you have an idea on how to solve this, am I right, Lady Tsunade?" he explained before looking up to face Tsunade.

Tsunade could not help but to form a smug smile as she heard that question. "Damn right, I have. But I'll have all of you standing in here know, it's gonna put your lives to the test, just like the war" the Hokage revealed to them, her smile never fading away. "But with so many heroes like you, we'll have to give it a shot! The fate of our world hangs on us who have first been told about the Moon crashing towards it" she added to her explanation.

"What's the plan then?" Naruto asked, feeling very tempted to know what Tsunade had in mind.

The Fifth Hokage suddenly rose up from her seat while Kakashi and Kurenai both stood by Shuzune. Tsunade fixed a determined glance on all those young shinobis who were present in her office. "With careful planning and thinking, I have decided to create an expedition that will journey to the Moon and put a stop to this genocidal man and his plans! However, this expedition can also be called a retrieval team, one that will rescue the captured Hyuugas before they suffer a terrible fate by whatever means!" Tsunade told them loudly and determined at the same time. But she was not finished yet. She even glanced specifically at Naruto, who in turn was surprised when he felt her gaze land on him. "Naruto, you will be the captain of this expedition. You along with Sakura, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Tenten, Kiba and Shino will journey to the place we suspect hides a secret portal to the Moon. Our sources tell us that an unfamiliar source of Chakra being located in the underground of the Land of Fire. It must've been there were Toneri and his servants used to arrive on Earth" the Hokage then informed him of his responsibilities while making sure the others were listening carefully as well.

Naruto had to admit he was stunned to hear that he was being appointed to the be the captain in this mission. In fact, he didn't even know what to say in return. However, he soon understood the gravity of this situation and why he had been chosen to lead the expedition.

Grinning cheekily, Naruto simply gave Tsunade a thumb up in return. "Don't you worry about this, granny. If my leadership is required in this daring mission, then I'm willing to accept the responsibility as captain" he said before turning around to face his crowd of friends standing there. "Come on, guys! Let's not go and save the world as a lone individual. Let's save it as a team!" he then tried to raise their morale. To Naruto's own surprise, it helped. Many felt very motivated about this mission.

Tsunade and those standing with her smiled as they could see how determined Naruto was in leading this group of young shinobis. "We're glad to see you're up to this, Naruto. But we still are missing three more members of this expedition. They will become responsible for communicating with us while on your mission. In other words, you could call them your communication unit" the Hokage told Naruto, who seemed very curious to know what this meant.

The door to Tsunade's office soon opened and in came three veteran jounins who were known to have served the Leaf Village with honor and dignity. It was Aoshi Yamashiro, Raido Namiashi and Genma Shiranui. But joining them was also a young woman dressed in a long white shirt, with a light blue collar, a short black skirt, dark stockings and open-toed boots. She had orange eyes, blonde hair tied up to a heart-shaped bun and wore red glasses. The young woman smiled at Tsunade as her gaze met the Hokage's.

"I apologize for keeping those three waiting, Lady Tsunade. But I just had to reveal them our latest invention" the young woman said.

Sakura immediately recognized that woman. "Hey. You're that astronomer who participated in a meeting with me and Lady Tsunade not long ago. It's nice to see you again" the pinkette said.

The astronomer smiled at Sakura. "It's nice to see you too, Lady Sakura" she told her before refocusing her attention on Tsunade. She approached her desk and performed some hand seals. All the shinobis gathered around to see what it was that the astronomer had made. From what they could see, it was a small clock that was lying on her handpalm. "We managed to finish the research just as you requested. All the other clocks have been sent to the other Five Great Hidden Villages as you requested. They will be sent directly to the Kages" she then informed the Hokage about a process.

"Excellent. That will help them ease their fears about not knowing how long it will take before the Moon falls" Tsunade noted smugly.

"What kind of clock is this?" Lee asked, curious to know what it was.

"This is the Armageddon Countdown Clock" the astronomer revealed while holding it up for everyone to see. "Recently, me and my colleagues had discovered how quickly the Moon had quickly begun to fall from its orbit. We saw this as very strange, yet we never paid much attention to it" she explained before looking out towards the window and up to the sky. "But with what happened yesterday, and that this Toneri Otsutsuki had power to control the Moon to crash on Earth, our concerns grew wider" she then told them.

"So basically, this clock serves as a countdown to Earth's destruction?" Shikamaru asked the four-eyed woman who nodded her head as a yes to his question. "Woah, then it's a good thing we have those" he remarked.

The astronomer adjusted her glasses. "Yes. But we made these clocks specifically for the Five Kages and their most trusted assistants to use" she explained before glancing at Naruto. "However, I actually made this clock for your expedition to have, Naruto. Since you have been tasked to stop the Moon from crashing upon the Earth, you'll need this to get an overview of the countdown. I have decided to give this to the second-in-command of the expedition. Who has been chosen for that responsibility?" she asked the blonde-haired man while holding the clock in her hand.

Hearing this made Naruto ponder. He did not expect to appoint someone who could assist him with coordinating the expedition. But on the other hand, it sounded reasonable, given that it would help strengthen the teamwork between the members.

"I haven't chosen my second-in-command yet. But since this mission is sure to get tough along the way, I choose Shikamaru to be my second-in-command" Naruto revealed while glancing at the head of the Nara clan with a smile. Shikamaru snapped as he heard what Naruto just said. He even pointed his finger at himself as to indicate why he was to be his second-in-command. "Come on, Shikamaru. You know very well why I'm choosing you. Past experience as leader of the group. Are you gonna continue to mope about the fact how troublesome it is?" Naruto then asked Shikamaru while justifying his reasons for naming him his second-in-command.

Shikamaru couldn't help but scoff at what Naruto just told him. "You're saying that I'm gonna chicken out? Don't be stupid! I did promise dad that I would become your advisor in the future, didn't I?" the man with the ponytail told him while scratching behind his neck. "Fine, I'll take the job. But just don't expect me to do all the work for ya, Naruto. You're the captain here" Shikamaru added, accepting Naruto's offer for the role.

The astronomer smiled and eventually put the clock on Shikamaru's right handpalm. "Then you may have this. Remember, you have to look at it often to see if you have enough time or not. And you don't have to worry about destroying it by accident. It's unbreakable" she explained the most important details of the clock.

Shikamaru continued to glance down at the clock, admitting to himself that it was quite an impressive invention. Even Chouji, Kiba and Lee had come up to him in order to get a better peek at the clock. They too were astounded by its design.

Naruto was joined by Sakura, and the pinkette felt happy on Naruto's behalf. He had now been appointed captain and it sounded amusing for Sakura to know that her boyfriend would be leading this expedition. Sakura also realized that her healing abilities would be useful for this mission, in addition to her strength of course.

"Okay! You all know what your mission is" Tsunade spoke up in order to get everyone's attention. "While this may be as challenging as the war, your efforts are greatly appreciated, even from us in the Leaf Village. The same thing can also be said for those from the other hidden villages" the blonde-haired woman spoke up, trying to raise the morale in the expedition.

Naruto merely chuckled mischievously in return. "There's no point in telling us that, Grandma Tsunade. We all know what we stand up against. We'll head to the Moon and stop it from crashing, as well as saving Hinata and her family from captivity. And I promise you: we will make it back here alive. Believe it!" he exclaimed with his usual high morale by his side.

Tsunade, Kakashi and the others mused to themselves when seeing the enthusiasm in Naruto's expression. It reminded them about the kind of guy he had always been, even before he became a hero among the Leaf shinobis.

"Then your daring rescue mission begins now. Onward to your destiny, Moon Expedition!" the Hokage then commanded the group she had gathered to save the world, as well as rescue the captured Hyuugas. But they needed to hurry, as it was not so smart in wasting precious time.

* * *

 _Later, at the gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves_

Kiba and Akamaru were walking now on their way towards the village's main gates, hoping with rendezvous with the other members of the Moon Expedition. The brown-haired man was carrying a backpack. Because of his family being busy with stuff related to the security of the village, Kiba didn't bother to say goodbye to them, not to mention that his family would be notified about this from Kurenai-sensei. All that mattered to him right now, was to save Hinata.

As he kept walking, Kiba immediately felt angry on himself. "Fuck! I shouldn't have been sleeping during the night! If I had known about this invasion earlier, I could've protected Hinata from being captured!" he angrily said, with Akamaru trying his best to avoid getting hit by him. Right now, Kiba was filled with so many angry emotions. However, not all of them were angry, as some were that of sadness and distress. "Hinata…please….please be okay…" Kiba uttered out those words lowly.

"You know, it's not your fault that she and her family got captured, Kiba" the voice came from none other than Shino, who had apparently been waiting for Kiba to pass by him in the streets. Nevertheless, Kiba simply ignored his teammate and proceeded towards the main gate. The man with the sunglasses sighed deeply when seeing that Kiba had returned to his usual stubborn attitude. "Why is he still that stubborn?" Shino wondered to himself before joining up with his aggressive friend.

So far, Kiba did not so much as look at Shino. His feral eyes were concentrated on the main gates. As the two teammates got closer, they could see that all members of the Moon Expedition were present and ready to go. This only meant that they were only waiting for Kiba and Shino.

Shikamaru took notice of their arrival and nudged Naruto with his left elbow. "Alright, captain. Looks like the two remaining members have showed up. That means we're all set to go" he told Naruto.

The blonde-haired man saw Shino and Kiba and smiled. "Great. Then we're almost ready" Naruto said before turning his attention over to Raido, Aoshi and Genma. "How's the communication devices? Are they functioning well?" he asked them.

"Sure, we've got clear signals in the village. And we'll also have that in the Land of Fire" Genma said as he was checking on his communication device, which almost looked like a backpack, considering that he, Aoshi and Raido would have to carry them like such.

"But we're still not certain whether we'll be able to communicate with Tsunade once we're in that place were the portal is expected to be found" Raido pointed out while he was checking on his device. "But then again, I think the clock we were given will definitely become of great use to us. Try not to lose it, okay Shikamaru?" he then began speaking to Shikamaru.

He only rolled his eyes when hearing this. "Of course, I won't. Geez…." Shikamaru said while hearing what Raido told him. "Like it or not, this journey's gonna be one hell of a drag" he then muttered to himself.

Tenten and Lee were having their own talk about being chosen for this expedition, with Tenten feeling somewhat disappointed for some reason. Lee could notice it.

"I'd hoped that things in the world didn't have to get so serious all of a sudden" Tenten said, remarking how much of an effect this had on the world. "It looks like we'll have to postpone our date. And I had been looking so forward to it" the brunette then pouted about not being able to go on a date.

Lee simply held his hands on Tenten's shoulders and it surprised her. The man with the goofy eyebrows simply smiled at his girlfriend. "I feel the same way you do, Tenten. I'd also hope to have this date. But when trouble like this emerges, we have to compromise" Lee explained it to her. "And besides, we can just view this mission as a date. I mean, at least we get to spend time together while we're out" Lee then told her.

As much as ridiculous as it sounded, Tenten could not help but to laugh sweetly at her boyfriend's statement. She held her arms around Lee's waist, her eyes glancing up to his. "You really make this sound tempting, Lee. As a matter of fact, I could've said the same thing" Tenten said before her smile soon began forming into a frown. "But amidst all this, it just doesn't feel right" she admitted to Lee.

"I know that too, Tenten. We face a tough challenge in this mission" Lee said before leaning down towards his girlfriend to give her forehead a kiss. Tenten felt turned on when he did that. After finishing the kiss, Lee started to gaze into her eyes. "But I also know that it's too early for us to fall into the pits of despair. We have barely begun the journey. But believe me, Tenten. I will make sure that we both make it out of this expedition alive" he then made a promise to her.

Feeling very turned on and enamored about Lee's promise to her, Tenten immediately kissed him on the lips. Lee was caught completely by surprise in this kiss, yet he felt obliged to respond by kissing her back. The couple made a quick embrace before ending it to focus on Naruto, who had called for all members of the expedition to have a quick gathering before setting off to their destination.

"Alright guys. This is it. Even now, I can notice how the Moon have started to show more of itself in the skies. All of you can see it if you look up" Naruto told the expedition members while briefly looking up in the skies. "We got plenty of time, but we better not waste it. The Earth's life is at stake here. But let's not forget about the Hyuugas who have been captured" Naruto added to his explanation.

Chouji was feeling concerned about the Hyuugas. "I'm starting to feel worried about the safety of Hinata and her family. You think that Toneri-guy will keep them alive while having them in captivity?" the chubby man questioned Naruto.

Naruto closed his eyes to think for a minute. "I don't know, Chouji. But given what that bastard did to Hinata's dad and sister during the night, I'm positive that he has no qualms in killing them. That's why I also think we should not waste time with regards to this expedition. We have to save Hinata and her family from whatever the hell Toneri Otsutsuki's plans are" he gave Chouji his answers, while making sure everyone else, especially Kiba, were following him.

"While I know that Hinata is shy, I know for a fact that she will be brave amidst this captivity" Sakura suddenly spoke up, recalling how she always knew the bluenette's personality. "This Toneri views Hinata and her family as possessions. That man's logic is beyond twisted. I can't wait to punch his smug face" Sakura then noted with a smug smile.

"Hinata's not a possession!" the angry voice of Kiba could be heard. "She's a living person who has right to decide what she wants! If that son of a bitch does as much as harm her…...I'm gonna fucking kill him!" the aggressive man then said, feeling anger towards Hinata's abductor.

Naruto could see the anger hanging on Kiba's face and it was apparent that he wanted to punch the living hell out of Toneri. Truth be told, Naruto also wanted to do the same thing, especially since he had kidnapped a friend, as well as attacked villagers of the Leaf without any mercy. The blonde-haired man turned around to face the path towards their destination. The time for reaching the Moon had come.

"Then what are we still standing here for!? The world needs us! Because of the Shadow Squad being out in the sea, we will be the ones answering this call for help! Let's move out!" Naruto commanded and ran off his spot, with the rest of the expedition picking up his pace quickly. As they ran into the woods and jumped from branch to branch, Naruto was being reminded about Sasuke, especially since he had brought up the Shadow Squad. "Even though they weren't in the village, the Shadow Squad will be notified about the events soon enough. But on the other hand, they may have already started to notice something amiss with the skies, especially since they can see the Moon clearly from the seas. I hope you and the others are doing okay out there, Sasuke" Naruto thought, realizing that he and the others who were out in the fields would soon realize that the countdown for the world's destruction had just begun.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: That was a great chapter. We got to see how Hinata had been starting to reconsider her behaviors. But she was also captured by Toneri Otsutsuki, alongside her family and clan. As I stated before, I wanted my version of Toneri to be more ruthless and devious, which is why he wants to capture all the Hyuugas and make them his slaves. The Moon Expidition is being led by Naruto, as I didn't want to make repeats with Shikamaru being the leader. And while this story may be similar to The Last: Naruto the Movie, I will try to make my own version of it. And let's not forget about the Shadow Squad and the three hooded dragons. Toneri may be a major bad buy, but so is the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts. The next chapter will take our focus back on the Shadow Squad, as they are about to find the Island of Tides, only to notice the Moon falling as well. However, that does not mean their mission will be cancelled, because something else drives them to continue the mission.**


	15. The Two Gates

**Author's note: For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: The Two Gates**

 _On Kame Island, in the seas near the Land of Water_

The combined forces of the Triple Entente had arrived at the Kame Island, which had a port, a cove and a town located on the top of the cliff. The journey on the seas had been pleasant, but on the way to the island, the combined forces had taken notice of the Moon moving closer to the skies. While thinking how unusual it was for the Moon to be so close, none of the members paid any attention to it. That is until they arrived at Kame Island.

On Kame Island, there existed a town on the top if the cliff, which gave its inhabitants a great view of the ocean. While the Triple Entente couldn't locate the Island of Tides from there, they did learn something from the town's observatory, which had been studying the Moon's movement in the last few weeks. From what the astronomers told the leaders, it looked as if the Moon itself was falling down towards the Earth.

But it didn't take long before the leaders of the Shadow Squad, the Grim Guard and the Divine Division got this terrible revelation from their respective Kages. Realizing how serious this matter was, the leaders had decided to reveal this news to their groups individually.

Right now, the Commander of the Shadow Squad Yugao Uzuki and her second-in-command Asami Nakano, as well as Commander of the Interrogation Squad Ibiki Morino, were having a quick gathering of the members. Shachi Arashiro, Hyozan Ishiwata, Baki and Yutaka were having their own individual gatherings with the Divine Division and Grim Guard respectively. Yugao had not been looking forward to reveal this news to her subordinates, yet it was necessary. When the Shadow Squad had been told about this, shocking reactions and gasps were seen. Yugao and Ibiki knew this was to be expected.

"So that is the grim news we wanted to inform you about" Yugao said while closing her eyes. "During the night, a man claiming to originate from the line of Hamura Otsutsuki, raided the Leaf Village. But he did more than that. He also kidnapped the majority of the Hyuuga clan, including its head Hiashi Hyuuga and his two daughters" the purple-haired woman explained while facing one of the Shadow Squad members, who was actually a Hyuuga.

Tokuma Hyuuga gasped from what he was hearing from his superior. "No…Lord Hiashi…Lady Hinata…Lady Hanabi…my brothers and sisters…all gone!" he said, tears starting to fall from his bright eyes. He was eventually comforted by Tatsuma Aburame and Shito Akimichi, who took pity upon him. The proud clansman of the Hyuugas had a right to feel this way, especially since he knew every one of them.

"But that's not only the bad news" Sai spoke up lowly, the pale-skinned man even glancing up to the moon. His own eyes started to widen. "It's no wonder why the Moon have been acting so…...different. Is it really on the verge to crash upon the Earth?" he then asked his superiors.

Ibiki nodded reluctantly at that question. "I'm afraid so, Sai. From what we heard from Lady Tsunade and the Leaf Village's astronomers, this Toneri Otsutsuki had been able to cut the Moon in half, and them use the other half to move away from the orbit" he answered the young man while the others listened to what was being said.

"But has there been any responses from Lady Tsunade about this threat?" Asami asked her commander.

"Yes, there has been, actually" Yugao told her before facing everyone once again. "When the Hokage got word about the Moon moving from its orbit, she conceived a plan to stop this madman from destroying the world. She has sent an expedition to the Moon, hoping to prevent it from destroying the Earth, as well as saving the Hyuugas from captivity. This expedition is led by Naruto" she explained what Tsunade had done once she had realized that the Moon was falling towards the world.

Many members of the Shadow Squad were somewhat relieved when hearing about the quick response to this threat. At least they knew that the crisis had been responded to. But others such as Sasuke, Yamato, Asami, Ibiki and Sai still had worries about how much of a threat this possessed to the whole world.

"There is without question that this crisis will affect the whole world. And even the Stone and Cloud Villages will be forced to come out of their isolation to confront this threat" Yugao stated, thinking about the two hidden villages that had been less active in foreign affairs. "But enough of this, it's time that we now tell you what we will do. Normally the Shadow Squad would be more than happy to help with the Moon Expedition. But the Hokage has other plans for us. She, the Mizukage and the Kazekage insists that the Triple Entene continue on this mission" the young woman then revealed to the members.

This caused may gasps and surprises among them. The world was at stake now. Why would they not be heading back home to protect the Leaf Village? The members of the Shadow Squad had so many questions on their commander's motives.

Even Asami was stunned to hear this. "But…why? The entire world is at stake here! What good is there in continuing this mission? Shouldn't we be concentrating on helping our villages' defenses?" the teal-haired woman asked her superior.

"Because this mission's objective has changed, Asami" Yugao revealed. She motioned her head at Ibiki, indicating that she wanted him to tell the Shadow Squad and the Interrogation Squad about what.

"What Yugao is trying to tell us is that there is a particular reason why the Kages still want us to find the Island of Tides" Ibiki told them. "We have learned from our allies in the Divine Division that the island was raised from the depths. But we have yet to find out who would be capable of such" he pointed out to them. "Furthermore, the Mist Village has informed us that the surrounding oceans in this area have a strange source of Chakra. As we look into it, this Chakra is similar to the ones that has been located in the underground in the Land of Fire recently" he then added more info on their motives

Ino raised her hand and she was allowed by her superior to speak. "I take it that Naruto and the Moon Expedition has already been sent to find out this source of Chakra in the Land of Fire. Now why is this Chakra so important?" she then asked her leaders.

"We can't be entirely certain about what it is. But from what we gather from the Leaf Village's astronomers, this Chakra is actually not of our world…...but from another source" Yugao spoke up, answering Ino's question. "Regardless, our orders are to pursue finding the Island of Tides, as we believe it is there where this unique Chakra comes from. The same goes for the Grim Guard and the Divine Division" the purple-haired woman added, remaining firm in continuing their mission.

"I have a feeling that this threat from the Moon will affect the entire world, not just the Triple Entente" Ibiki told Yugao as she listened to him. "And despite her failed attempts before, Lady Tsunade will reach out to the Raikage and the Tsuchikage. A crisis such as this is more than enough to force them out of isolation and hiding" he added.

"My sentiments exactly" Yugao said, agreeing with what the Commander of the Interrogation Squad stated. She then turned her attention to all the Shadow Squad members. "But remember what I just told you. We're not going back to the Leaf Village. We are to proceed with this mission as the Hokage told us. With tough luck, we might be able to find out whether the Island of Tides has some connection to the Moon or not" the purple-haired commander informed the members, trying to clarify the fact that they were still going towards the destination.

"Then what should we do now, commander?" Asami asked Yugao, wanting to know what the next orders were.

Yugao simply gave her a smug smile with her lips. "Isn't it obvious? We head back to the town hall and regroup with the Grim Guard and the Divine Division at the harbor. Since there has been a change of plans, we will begin searching the seas for the Island of Tides. And let's not forget about the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts! They still need to pay for their attack on the Leaf Village! So I say we go there and bust their asses! Are we clear on that, brothers and sisters of the Leaf!?" she explained their next move before loudly exclaiming at the end of her sentence. She wanted to make sure that all her subordinates were onboard for this mission.

"YES MA'AM!" the members of the Shadow Squad and some of the Interrogation Squad said in unison, much to the satisfaction of their superiors. This only confirmed their will to press on with the task ahead.

The group soon dismissed, and the members of the Shadow Squad, the Interrogation Squad and the Medic Corps went with their respective leaders. It was time for each team to have some briefing with their leaders before rendezvousing with the Divine Division and the Grim Guard. Ibiki took with him Ino, along with Tonbo Tobikate, Shimon Hijiri, Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, Mawashi Dokuraku, Iwashi Tatami and Mozuku, to a terrace, which gave them clear view of the ocean and the weather. They were standing by the fence that prevented them from falling. Winds were blowing so strong and the members could feel it.

"Alright. I just wanted you all here for a quick chat before we regrouped with the others. And believe me, I have no intention of crossing Yugao" Ibiki told his subordinates, insisting they were not discussing plans to replace Yugao with another leader. The stern-looking man surprisingly forced out a chuckle, which only made his subordinate raise eyebrows in return. "Truth be told, Yugao's leadership is much better than mine. I'm glad that she was appointed by Lady Tsunade to be the Commander of the Shadow Squad. Her skills in leadership are undeniable" he admitted, although he made sure not to say it out loud.

"What is it you wanted to tell us, captain?" Tonbo asked his superior, always willing to know the answers.

This forced Ibiki to cease his sarcasm and humor. He returned to having a serious expression on his face. "I wanted you all here for a particular reason. It's with regards to our three "suspects" we're searching for" Ibiki revealed to them, making sure that no one was listening to their conversations. "I wanted to wait until we were separated from the entire group to reveal you this information, or perhaps more specifically…...Sasuke" he then revealed what his attentions were.

Ino's blue eyes widened in astonishment over hearing her superior's revelation. She could not believe that Ibiki was willing to share this information with her, but not to Sasuke. But then again, she didn't bother questioning him, knowing well how Ibiki had been feeling about Ino reaching out towards Sasuke recently.

"The leadership of the Leaf Village has always been curious to know about the Crimson Dragon and his powers. And he seems to use the powers of an Uchiha. But while we first suspected that he was nothing more than a test subject of Orochimaru….it turned out that it was not the case with this individual" Ibiki told his subordinates in secrecy.

"What does this mean, Captain Ibiki?" Shimon asked his superior. But the gloomy man soon began realizing something and his comrades did exactly the same.

"Are you meaning to tell us that…the Crimson Dragon really IS an Uchiha?" Kotetsu asked, adding more curiosity to the question.

Realizing that his subordinates were starting to get a hang on this matter, Ibiki knew there was no need for him to hold back info. "Yes. It is. The Crimson Dragon is in fact a real Uchiha. However, his records as an Uchiha is unknown, even to us in the Leaf Village. Therefore, we were led to believe his existence were pure fiction" Ibiki told them while making sure they were listening carefully. "But that is until we managed to get hold on something very valuable information. It was a set of files owned by the previous head of the old Leaf Police Force: Fugaku Uchiha" he then revealed.

The members of the Interrogation Squad were stunned to hear this revelation. "The Leaf Police Force…..it's been years since that group's name was mentioned" Mawashi noted warily, as he and other members of the squad knew about the Leaf Police Force and how the Uchiha clan held control over it.

"Fugaku Uchiha…..he was….." Ino uttered out the name lowly, only for Ibiki to speak up.

"Yes. Fugaku Uchiha was also the father of Itachi and Sasuke, who would both go on to become Akatsuki-members. But he was also the last head of the Uchiha clan and the Leaf Police Force before the Uchiha Clan Massacre" Ibiki filled out for Ino. "But enough of that, we all know the story. What we didn't know, was what kind of man Fugaku really was as a clan head. As the files tell us, he was instrumental in planning a coup d'état against the Leaf Village and its leadership. But we didn't know how he made perpetrations for it" he went on revealing more details.

"Preparations? What are you talking about?" Izumo asked, feeling really anxious to know more. But he wasn't alone. The same thing could be said for his comrades.

"To prepare himself for the coup, Fugaku wanted to make sure that the entire Uchiha clan was strong enough to take on the entire Leaf Village. That being said, there was no room for the weak and useless Uchihas" Ibiki answered Izumo's question, feeling somewhat regrettable in telling this, despite knowing how important it was for them to know the truth. "The same rule was applied to small children as well. Even Fugaku's own sons were trained to become the ultimate shinobis. He really didn't want anyone to become weak. But unfortunately, there was one child who Fugaku incurred his wrath upon, due to that child being born frail and slightly demented" he then revealed at the end of the sentence.

As she kept listening to all these revelations, Ino was only starting to feel more concerned and sorry about the experience Sasuke had gone through. But still, that did not excuse his atrocities he committed as a missing-ninja. On that, Ino was painfully aware of.

"Why this child is important to these files is obvious. He was a close relative to Fugaku and his family. In fact, he was Fugaku's nephew" Ibiki told them.

"What…a nephew…you mean that…...Sasuke had a cousin?" Ino asked while gasping.

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Mozuku blurted out. "According to our analysis of Fugaku, he was the only child in his family. He never had siblings" he pointed out while adjusting his glasses.

Ibiki nodded his head as a yes. "True. But that's because this child was not related to Fugaku by blood. Rather, he was related to his wife: Mikoto Uchiha" he said, clarifying Mozuku's analysis. "Little is known about Mikoto, yet she did grow up in the Uchiha clan with a fraternal twin sister: Akihime Uchiha. When Mikoto got married to Fugaku, Akihime moved into the conjugal family along with her son. This boy was a few years older than Sasuke and a few years younger than Itachi" Ibiki told them before continuing. "The boy was named Saizo, in honor of the great ninja of the Shimura clan: Saizo Shimura, who was also the father of Danzo. It may have inspired Mikoto to name her second son Sasuke, in honor of Sasuke Sarutobi. Both Saizo Shimura and Sasuke Sarutobi were great friends, and the Uchiha twin sisters had hoped their sons would become great shinobis in the future" he then told them, even forming a slight smile as he spoke about the names of two great shinobis being mentioned.

"But Saizo never become the great shinobi, did he?" Kotetsu asked, having listened enough to make his own analyses. "We all know how Sasuke became great. But Saizo, he didn't" he then said while facing Ibiki, who nodded his head as a confirmation to Kotetsu's questions.

"You're correct. Saizo was born frail, his body slightly misshapen. Furthermore, he had no talent in using Chakra and constantly failed his tests at the Academy. For this, he became the target for ridicule. His fellow Uchihas loathed his weakness, as did his uncle. He feared that someone like Saizo would make the Uchiha clan look weak in wake of their coup" Ibiki told his subordinates about who this Saizo really was.

"This seems to be getting out of hand here" the voice came from Tonbo was he was feeling this didn't get them anywhere close to the mission. "Why is this kid so important? I don't understand it" he asked while stating his opinion on the matter.

"Because of one thing, Tonbo. Saizo never died during the Uchiha Clan Massacre" Ibiki told him firmly, causing some of his subordinates to widen their eyes. "Yes, Saizo was killed…by his own uncle" he then revealed.

Ino gasped in disbelief when she heard this. "What…you mean it was…"

"It was Fugaku who killed the child…...as well as his mother. Both of them were murdered on the orders of Fugaku himself. He and the other Uchihas made sure that word never got out to anyone outside the clan or the Leaf Police Force" Ibiki went on telling them.

"But something still doesn't make sense here. Do you suppose that Saizo could be the Crimson Dragon?" Iwashi asked his superior. "If he really is that person, how is he still alive? I mean, why didn't he show up during the Fourth Shinobi World War? Couldn't he had been an accomplice of Madara Uchiha" the young man asked once again, pointing out to the many facts.

"I never said anything about Saizo being the Crimson Dragon, Iwashi. It was only a metaphor" Ibiki clarified the young man's statement. "However, from what we have discovered from reading these old files, Saizo was the first Uchiha to be killed by Uchiha hands. He died before the massacre even took place" he then noted on what he had found by digging the files.

"Captain, if I may ask you something. Are you the only one who knows about this?" Ino asked her superior.

Ibiki glanced at his favorite subordinate and shook his head. "Of course not, Ino. The only persons besides me who knows this are Lady Tsunade and Commander Yugao. Therefore, I am willing to trust you with this information" he said before looking around to make sure nobody was listening to them once again. "But enough chatting, it would be best if we regrouped with the others at the docks before they suspect something's amiss with us. But just remember what I've told you: stay alert" he told them before the group headed for the docks.

* * *

 _Inside a cavern, Island of Tides_

The shack city inside this system of caverns was still bustling with activity, both day and night. Despite the fact that the Moon was currently headed towards the Earth, the various ruffians, criminals, raiders, rogue ninjas and pirates were still doing shady business as the crisis had no effect on them.

The three hooded dragons were heading out of the shack city and into one of the unvisited caverns they had been to not so long ago. These caverns had remained uninhabited, all the more reason for the three hooded men to do business in secrecy. On another note, it was great for them to get away from all the ruffians and their filthy lifestyle for a while.

"So, have you decided about it?" the Azure Dragon asked his cohort as they were walking. "Do you want to become allies with this Toneri Otsutsuki?" he added to his question.

The Crimson Dragon did not reply and continued to walk towards their destination. His partner with the trident-like sword did not bother speaking. Apparently, they had a reason for heading to these caverns. They had once again been contacted by Toneri, who requested that they meet in person. While none of them seemed to have any trust in Toneri, they had decided to meet him nonetheless.

"I don't understand why we're even meeting him. That psychopath is trying to destroy the Earth. What makes you think he'll spare us from the destruction?" the Ebon Dragon asked his silent cohort. But like the Azure Dragon, he didn't receive an answer from him. "Tch, still acting so reclusive. Why am I not surprised" he remarked with sarcasm in his voice.

The trio soon entered the area where they had visited Toneri the other day. This time, he was still being surrounded by his puppet servants. They formed a line to welcome the trio, whom they knew to be visitors of their master. But this time, Toneri himself was seen standing, his eyelids still being closed. The three hooded men soon stood before the mysterious person, who lightly smiled when seeing them coming to him.

"Ah, we meet again, dragons. I have been waiting to see you" Toneri welcomed them with his unusual gentle voice. "Tell me, how do you fare?" he suddenly asked them as if things were pleasant.

All the hooded members seemed to have been dumbfounded when being asked about this, yet the Azure Dragon seemed to be the one who was willing to answer.

"You're kidding, right? You move the entire Moon to crush the Earth and you expect us to be easygoing about this?" he asked Toneri with a hint of disbelief. "I don't know what world you live in, but it makes me feel uncomfortable" the hooded man with the trident-like sword remarked at Toneri.

Toneri simply chuckled as he heard that question. "Apparently, you seem to have forgotten what I mentioned in our last encounter" the pale-skinned man told the Azure Dragon, even though he was glancing at the trio as a whole. "While I do plan on destroying this world, it does not mean I will leave out those who could be useful to my plans. And as mentioned earlier, you are among those people" Toneri clarified on what he had been saying.

"Heh. So that means you wanna make us your friends? Sounds too presumptuous if you ask me" the Ebon Dragon expressed his opinion on the matter.

Toneri's mouth suddenly changed into a frown. "I advise you to choose your words carefully, dragon. I am not known for empty threats" he warned the Ebon Dragon, who only crossed his arms in return. "Those who refuse to become my ally will face annihilation. The rest of the Sage's world will do that. But the only notable exception is the Hyuuga clan" Toneri suddenly revealed to the trio.

"So, you really did it? You entered the Leaf Village and took with you the entire Hyuuga clan?" the Crimson Dragon finally spoke up, thus surprising his cohorts.

"Yes. But not all Hyuugas were captured. However, I was able to get my hands on the strongest of the Hyuuga. I now have Hiashi and his daughters in my possession" Toneri revealed while clenching his right fist.

The hooded trio seemed to be somewhat astonished by hearing Toneri's words. Yet the Crimson Dragon didn't really seem to pay much attention to him. "Then for what reason do you have for calling us to you? Didn't you say something about you wanting to marry that Hyuuga-broad?" the Crimson Dragon rudely asked him.

His cohorts were very worried about him having said something to provoke Toneri, given that the mysterious man took so much interest in Hinata. But for some remarkable reasons, Toneri seemed to restrain himself. However, he did glance at the Crimson Dragon with a disappointing frown.

"I understand you are a man from a troubled past. Regardless, I would appreciate if you didn't talk about my future bride like this, Crimson Dragon. She and I are destined to become married" Toneri told him sternly before forming a smile. "Which leads me to the conclusion of saying this. I hereby invite you to my wedding as personal guests of honor. You decide whether to attend or not. But I bet me and even my bride would be appreciative if you brought your blessings to our marriage" he told them before walking away, eventually heading towards a nearby lake.

The hooded trio stood and watched as Toneri stepped upon the water, eventually moving to the middle of it. But soon, Toneri's puppets began moving out as well, and they even jumped straight down into the lake, eventually sinking. But something happened with the water, as it began spiraling like a whirlwind. Despite this, Toneri remained unmoved and stood in the middle. But he eventually turned his focus on the hooded trio once again.

"Remember what I have told you just now, dragons. You have two options: join me or perish along with this world. I would choose your fate carefully if I were you" Toneri told the trio, as they were still standing and watching him withstand the whirlwind.

Despite being relatively silent for most of the meeting, the Crimson Dragon spoke up. "What exactly is it you're after, Otsutsuki?" the hooded man asked while crossing his arms.

Surprisingly, Toneri smiled when he heard this. "What I am after, you ask me? That is painfully obvious, even for a common terrorist like you" the pale-skinned man said as he gradually started to sink into the water. "All that I wish is for me to carry out the responsibilities my forefathers left me in charge of. I will destroy this world and make a new and purer one from the ashes" he said before his head finally sunk, this vanishing from the caverns as a whole.

There was only silence between those three men after Toneri disappeared from their view. But it was once again broken when the Azure Dragon started to open his mouth.

"Tch, talk about having an ego. I bet that guy doesn't even own a mirror" the Azure Dragon said before he snapped in realization. "Of course, he can't see himself in a mirror cause he's blind! That's both sad and pathetic" the hooded man asked while carrying his weapon on his shoulders.

The Ebon Dragon simply snorted in return. "Is that all you have to say about him?" he questioned his partner in a slightly disappointed tone. "That bum-ass monk ain't gonna stand in my way of kicking the Fourth Raikage's stinky ass! I ain't stop breathing until A is fucked up good" he boasted proudly, never intending on giving up his goals.

The Crimson Dragon felt he had done what he came here for and began moving out. His cohorts were stunned to see how quiet and reserved he was acting. But on another note, something was clearly on his mind right now. His Mangekyo Sharingan began to take shape and it became obvious why he was behaving in such manner.

"That naive fool thinks he's doing what it takes to honor his ancestors. Despite his wisdom, he easily allows pride to overcome him" the Crimson Dragon noted to himself before gazing down at his right handpalm, where he called the black flames to his side. "You did well in fooling that Otsutsuki, my friend. With him and most of the world too distracted, I'll concentrate on waiting for that son of a bitch to arrive. I can't wait to see you again, Sasuke. Because I'm gonna show you how true death really feels!" he then added with so much anger in his voice.

* * *

 _Inside Toneri Otsutsuki's palace, the Moon_

The exterior of the Moon was barren, covered with craters and canyons. It had a weak gravity, but is still able to maintain a breathable atmosphere. Despite its harsh conditions, the Otsutsuki clan were able to settle on the Moon due to their unique anatomy and physiology. To improve its habitability and allow their population to thrive, the Otsutsuki clan built the Tenseigan at the centre of the Moon, granting them light, powering their equipment, and allowing them to control the Moon's movements. The Tenseigan was a sacred treasure of the Otsutsuki clan, used for millennia to seal the clan's Byakugan to combine their powers, as well as collect and amplify natural energy. Similar to a Dyson sphere, they created a vast environment on the Moon's interior surface, complete with oceans, mountains, forests, and various animal species, however this environment was far smaller than the full size of the Moon itself

Where the Hyuuga clan currently found themselves in was actually a barrier on the Moon which housed many important sites, among them the palace of Toneri Otsutsuki. It was quite the palace, floating in above the ground along with other important sites inside the barrier. Since being brought to this palace, all the Hyuugas had been tied up like hostages. Even now, they found themselves in Toneri's throne room, where they sat down as swarms of his puppet servants guarded them. At this rate, the Hyuugas were sitting ducks, with no possible option to escape.

The door to the throne room suddenly busted wide open and all the Hyuugas turned around to see who it was that had entered. To their shock, it was Toneri. The pale-skinned man was walking towards the group of captured Hyuugas, with puppet maids accompanying him. He made way towards Hiashi and his two daughters, who were all afraid and uncertain about his motives. What did this man have in store for them?

"I am hoping you find my palace welcoming. Rest assured, you will be treated with dignity and respect by my servants" Toneri told them, even though he was specifically gazing at Hinata, who only glared up at him in return.

Hiashi felt the animosity build between his eldest daughter and the mysterious man, so he decided to intervene, even though he was powerless to stand up to Toneri. "Leave Hinata out of this!" the head of the Hyuuga clan called out to him sternly while sweating at the same time. "And if you want to torture anyone of us then do it on me! My daughters are not to be toyed with!" he added while spitting out his words.

Toneri only glanced at the middle-aged man with a deep frown. In fact, he moved towards Hiashi. To the shock of the Hyuugas, Toneri firmly grabbed Hiashi by his throat and lifted him up. The head of the Hyuuga clan was struggling to breathe as the pale-skinned man did it without any sign of remorse.

"FATHER!" Hanabi yelled out in distress by seeing this.

Hinata fixed her attention on Toneri. "LET GO OF HIM! I'TS ME WHO YOU WANT, NOT HIM!" the bluenette tried to prevent Toneri from choking her father to death.

"Silence, you damn imbeciles!" Toneri snapped and it actually shut both girls. He continued concentrating on Hiashi, who was still struggling to breathe amidst his grip. He eventually let go of the middle-aged man and two of his puppet servants were holding him. "And as for you, Hiashi Hyuuga. No, I won't torture you. And I won't take your life. But I will take what is rightfully mine. Your eyes will be collected" he said as his hands began glowing into teal Chakra.

The Hyuugas watched in horror as Toneri grabbed Hiashi's eyes and forcefully ripped them out, causing blood to stream out from his empty eyeholes. Hiashi screamed in agony as his daughters despaired over seeing this.

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGHHHHHHHHHH" Hiashi yelled as he covered his eyeholes with his hands, yet blood was still streaming from the gaps between his fingers. "MY EYES! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY EYES!?" the middle-aged man asked, still howling so loud that it terrified his fellow Hyuugas.

Toneri held Hiashi's eyes in his left hand, having no regrets for the action he just committed. "Simpleton. The Byakugan were never your eyes to begin with" Toneri told him coldly, not caring about the pain he had caused on the middle-aged man. But he eventually turned his attention all the other Hyuugas as well. "And the same goes for the rest of you Hyuugas! Your eyes were given to you by the Otsutsuki clan. Therefore, the Byakugan has never been yours!" he told them sternly.

As soon as Toneri had done it, he began taking small steps towards Hanabi, who was too shocked to even move or say anything. Hinata however, took notice of this and she quickly intervened.

"NO! NOT WITH HANABI! LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!" Hinata told him with anger, even though she was actually pleading to Toneri as well. But the white-haired man paid not heed to her pleas. He proceeded to quickly push his right hand on Hanabi's eyeline. The young girl was caught in surprise, yet Hinata yelled hysterically as she saw what Toneri was planning on doing to him. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the bluenette yelled, but it was too late.

Without even thinking, Toneri aggressively tore out Hanabi's eyes, causing the young girl to scream in pain. Her open eyeholes had blood streaming down her cheeks and she covered them with her hands, even though it was no use. The bleeding on her never stopped. The teenage girl was in deep agony and cried hysterically.

Hinata felt her bright eyes covered in tears as she watched what Toneri had done to both her sister and her father. She cried, feeling so scared and horrified over witnessing such atrocity against her family. The bluenette glanced at Toneri, who was still unsympathetic to her suffering.

"Why….." Hinata spoke lowly before she felt she had enough spirit to finally open her mouth to ask him once again. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO THEM!?" she demanded an answer out of Toneri, tears still falling from her bright eyes.

However, she was stunned when she could see Toneri holding up the eyes of Hiashi and Hanabi. He was fixing a slightly maddened grin as his closed eyes were near them. Something was not right with the young man, and his captives could see it based upon his behavior. Toneri's hands began glowing with Chakra.

"At last…I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO SEE CLEARLY!" Toneri exclaimed madly before pushing both sets of eyes into his closed eyelids. His Chakra-empowered hands covered his eyelids. Toneri was feeling so full of himself, his grin never vanishing as he held onto his closed eyelids. "After so many years of being reduced to blindness, I will finally be able to unlock the powers of a true Otsutsuki! The power that will help me in destroying the Sage's world and remake it in my ancestor's image! The power of the Tenseigan!" he said before his eyelids finally opened.

Hinata and the other Hyuugas gasped when they saw Toneri's eyes being revealed for the first time. His eyelids were now open and it as unlike anything they had ever witnessed. While Toneri's eyes closely resembled that of Byakugan, they also contained blue pupils and irises, which contained a white, floral pattern. These eyes were glowing brightly as they were activated and Toneri was still excited to be able to see clearly.

"I can see…." Toneri said lowly as he looked around in the throne room, eventually looking out from his palace's balcony. He was given a great view of the barrier in which his palace existed in. "I CAN SEE! MY EYES ARE NO LONGER BLIND! I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW! I HAVE ACHIEVED THE TENSEIGAN, MY FIRST STEP TOWARDS GODHOOD!" he loudly exclaimed from his balcony. It was apparent that this man had begun to act mad with power.

As Toneri was gradually losing himself to insanity, Hinata was still crying in despair. She was still feeling sad over seeing what her family and clan had been reduced to. Other Hyuugas headed over to the heiress, in hopes of consoling her, yet such actions were futile.

"Lady Hinata…." Ko tried to speak up, even though he was gradually too weak to even raise his voice. The clansman simply gazed at Hiashi and Hanabi, he too also saddened to see their conditions.

"This is serious! They need medical attention, now!" the young maid called Natsu said, also sharing her fellow Hyuugas concern for their injuries.

"Easier said than done. We're all held here like rats!" Iroha stated bitterly, his spirit feeling completely destroyed due to being held hostage in this unknown world.

But Toneri soon entered the throne room after spending some time at the balcony. His blue eyes were now fixated upon Hinata, the young bluenette still sobbing over her family. Toneri was soon joined by two puppet guards, who were dressed in black robes.

"Quit your whining. It had already been decided that their eyes would return to me. Their fate was unavoidable" Toneri spoke up coldly. But he soon formed a smile, which was very ironic for someone like him to do. "Now, rise up, Hinata. I will show you your personal quarters in this palace. As my future bride, you deserve the highest hospitality I can offer" he then told her.

Many of the Hyuugas were furious over hearing how Toneri could say something like this to Hinata. It was just unbelievable and outrageous for him to offer Hinata hospitality when he had kidnapped her and tormented her family.

In fact, Ko was the one who was most angry over hearing this. In fact, he possessed enough strength to stand on his feet, even though his hands were tied. The young clansman gritted his teeth in anger.

"Don't be so absurd…" Ko spoke lowly before he surprisingly raised his voice with anger and defiance. "YOU WON'T BE GETTING YOUR FILFTHY HANDS ON LADY HINATA! YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" he spat out with foul language.

Hearing this made Toneri narrow his blue eyes, feeling very dissatisfied over being spoken to like this. The young man pointed his right hand at Ko, firing a green ball of Chakra towards the young clansman. The ball of Chakra hit Ko in the stomach and he was sent flying in the air, before crashing against the wall with his back. Ko was knocked out while blood streamed from his mouth.

"KO!" Hoheto yelled out to him in fear. He quickly turned around to glare at Toneri with anger. "YOU MANIACAL SCUM!" he yelled at the white-haired man.

Toneri only watched this with a deep frown forming on his mouth. "Hmmm….as soon as I help an ant with learning his place, another one dares to play games with me" he noted with dissatisfaction. Toneri proceeded to take small steps towards the group of Hyuugas. "If you insist on standing between me and my bride, I shall gladly respond by clamping you down until you are nothing but filth!" he then threatened Hoheto, even though he was also targeting the other Hyuugas who stood in his way.

Hoheto was joined by Iroha, both men activating their Byakugan while standing in front of the Hyuuga-heiress. Both clansmen were determined not to let this madman get his hands on her. Yet despite this, Toneri seemed unfazed.

"Step aside or face your punishment" Toneri warned them coldly. Two floating balls of green Chakra could now be seen and it was apparent he was preparing to fire them on the two Hyuugas.

"Stay the hell away from her, you son of a bitch!" Iroha told him, even though he was sweating over being forced to stand guard over Hinata.

Toneri was only feeling more anger burn within him as he saw how defiant those Hyuugas were acting towards him. "Do as I say or your lives will be…." Toneri stopped when he could hear a loud scream coming from behind Iroha and Hoheto.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Hinata yelled out loudly. Her eyes were still having some tears. The young bluenette even stepped towards Toneri, much to the shock of her fellow Hyuugas. Despite this, Hinata was glancing at Toneri with defiant eyes. "You leave no choice…I'll go to the quarters as you say…..but only on one condition!" she told him before glancing at her family and the other members of her clan. "Leave my clan alone! And get some medical help to both my father and sister! I'm not going anywhere until I them being tended to!" she demanded, her voice still filled with determination.

When Toneri heard these demands, his blue eyes began to narrow further, hinting his dispassion to being told this by a woman. But seeing how determined Hinata was acting before him, the young man could not help but to agree to her demands.

"Hinata…...if you were not my bride…...I would have executed you for barking demands from me. But since you are to be my future bride…..I will make this an exception. You shall have your requests fulfilled" Toneri told her warily before snapping her fingers. As soon as he did that, many servants and guards appeared around their master, ready to obey whatever command without question. "I want those two being brought to the guest room. And make sure their injuries are tended to. And as for the rest of these vermin. Lock them up in the dungeon! I will notify you when I require your assistance" Toneri told them.

All the puppets did as their liege commanded them to. They took the Hyuugas away before Hinata's eyes. She remained firm, even though she was hurt on the inside to see her family being taken away. But she had other things to focus on, especially since Toneri was now glancing at her with cold eyes. She sweated a little, not knowing whether he would actually attack her or not. Two puppets in black garbs appeared behind Toneri and all of a sudden, a couple of them also appeared behind Hinata. The young bluenette was shocked, yet she stood her ground and never let her guard down.

"There. Your feeble requests have been granted. Now, you will come with me to your personal quarters where you will be staying while in the palace" Toneri told her.

Realizing she had no other choices left, Hinata reluctantly followed Toneri. The puppet guards were seen closing in on her, as if they were attempting to make a move on her if she ever did something to escape. But Hinata knew what kind of man Toneri really was, especially since given what he had done to her family. They continued through the hallways, until they reached the doors to her quarters.

One of the puppet guards opened the door and Toneri motioned for Hinata to enter. Once inside, the bluenette was stunned to see how big her quarters really were. It housed so old furniture, a bathroom and a giant bed. Such were things worthy of a Queen. But Hinata felt no happiness. The young woman entered, never looking back to see Toneri glance at her.

"Make yourself at home here, Hinata. You should be so lucky to be able to receive the hospitality of the Otsutsuki clan. No humans have ever been granted such in a lifetime" Toneri told her, smiling lightly while watching her. "But remember the rules here. You can't come out of your quarters until I say so. Stay here and don't do anything foolish. It would cost your family dearly" the pale-skinned man told her before turning around to exit. However, Toneri looked over his shoulders to glance at the stunning bluenette one last time before leaving. "While you are staying here, I will make some preperations for our wedding ceremony. In the meantime, we may as well have some time alone to get better acquainted with one another. Perhaps a cup of tea should help us with that. I will also show you all the important sites of my kingdom, including the shrine of my late ancestor. But for now, rest well, Hinata. And look forward to our glorious wedding" those were last words said to Hinata before Toneri exited the room, leaving her all alone by herself.

Even though she was not in a dungeon, the threats Toneri had imposed on Hinata only made it sound more like she was a captive. She took small steps towards the giant bed, feeling incredibly wounded on the inside as she gradually fell onto the bed. Hinata begin crying, realizing the kind of threat she was in. She even felt weaker by the minute, her self-confidence decreasing. As Hinata was crying against the pillow, she could only think about her friends back on Earth. But there was one person she began thinking about dearly.

"Naruto…Sakura…Ino…...Shino…...Kurenai-sensei…Kiba" Hinata thought about those she was very close to especially her teammates. Or perhaps more specifically, Kiba. "Kiba….forgive me for what I've done…you don't deserve to have me…." Hinata said, before crying once again.

As the Hyuuga-heiress was crying in despair and unable to have the courage, all things around her started to fall apart. All that Hinata ever wanted was to fee what real love was like. This had led her to make many stupid decisions, including taking an interest in sexuality. There were so many things that she wanted to correct right now, yet she couldn't. The world was going to be destroyed and Hinata would never be able to see her friends again. She wouldn't be able to even see Kiba again. Now, Hinata's whole life was turned upside down once again. What could she do? Was committing suicide the only option available to escape this torment?

Hinata's bright eyes snapped as she could feel a gentle touch on her hair. To her utter astonishment, someone was stroking her hair, yet it felt so gently. And more importantly, Hinata realized that she was no longer alone in her personal quarters and slowly turned around to see who it was. Someone was sitting on the bed right beside her. It was an old man with a very frail appearance. His ribcage was slightly visible, his brows looked more prominent, and he had deep wrinkles in his face and grey hair. He wore a white kimono with a black wide collar ceremonial kimono, with a light green sash tied over his right shoulder. He also had small, horn-like protrusions on his forehead and bright eyes, similar to those of the Hyuugas. Hinata couldn't believe what she was seeing right now.

"There, there, little one. Let your tears fall. One must always express her feelings and let them out, even if it involves around sadness" the old man said, smiling at the Hyuuga-heiress. He was still stroking Hinata's long hair. "Holding back your feelings will only hurt yourself. That I can assure you" he added, his smile never fading away.

Hinata's bright eyes widened in astonishment over what she was seeing. "Who are…you?" she asked him lowly. As she got a closer look at the elderly man, she was beginning to wonder whether he was an Otsutsuki, let alone a real person. "Are you an…Otsutsuki?" she questioned him.

As Hinata was sitting on her knees, she noticed the elderly man standing up from the bed, with the help of a black staff. As he was standing up, black orbs suddenly began forming around the old man. Hinata started to realize something. She had seen this staff before, let alone read about it on an ancient scroll belonging to the Hyuuga clan. Hinata gasped in realization when she got the puzzle together.

"You're….are you…Hamura Otsutsuki?" Hinata asked him, the young woman still sitting on her knees.

The elderly man continued to smile at her, even chuckling to himself as he heard Hinata's question. "Yes, child. I am the one you ask of. I am Hamura Otsutsuki, son of Kaguya and twin brother of Hagoromo. I am also your clan's ancestor. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Hinata Hyuuga" he told her while introducing himself in a formal manner.

"But I was t-told you died out ages ago" Hinata said, still feeling uncertain about him. "H-How is it that you are alive?" she then asked him.

"I am afraid none of that is correct, young one. I am only a spirit returned from the afterlife to seek help. I seek help in ending my descendant's ascension into darkness" Hamura told her.

"Ascension into darkness…what are you talking about? I've so many questions" Hinata asked, wanting to know more from the old man.

To her surprise, Hamura began stroking her left cheek with his right hand. Despite how old and wrinkly it was, the touch felt so tenderly to Hinata. It appeared that Hamura sought to calm her down and ease all of her pain and stress.

"All in due time, child. Your questions will be answered. But you must first understand what needs to be done. Come see me at the memorial site built in my honor. It is there we will meet again and where you will be given the answers you seek" Hamura assured her before stopping stroking her cheek. This time however, he fixed a more serious expression on his elderly face. "Know his, Hinata. You are the Byakugan Princess. You are destined to save the world my brother created, as well as ending the corruption that has tainted my descendant. And then, you will be able to find out the source of that corruption" he told her firmly, his mouth forming into a smile once again. "Farewell, Hinata. Until we meet again. And remember, never let your willpower die. Press on towards the future" those were Hamura's last words before he vanished into disappearance.

Hinata snapped, realizing this had been some kind of vision. She now found herself on her knees once again, her head lying on the bed. Looking to her right side, she no longer saw the elderly Hamura sitting beside her. Many thoughts and questions began swirling inside her head.

"What was that…was that a dream…...or a reality?" Hinata wondered.

* * *

 _Somewhere hidden under the Land of Fire_

The Moon Expedition had succeeded in locating the source of this unique Chakra. It was located somewhere underneath the Land of Fire, in the middle of the country. When they located it, the members were stunned to discover a something that resembled a portal, except for the fact that it looked like a spring of green water. Naruto and his friends stood and watched as they tried to figure out what this type of water was.

"I don't believe it" Naruto noted stunningly. "Since when did something like this exists underneath the Land of Fire? I mean, how long has it been staying here?" he asked out loudly, feeling very unsure about whether this was safe or not.

"Beats me. But something seems a bit fishy about this water" Lee noted as he stood very close to the spring. He was getting very curious about this water and proceeded to stick out his right to touch it. He moved it slowly, until it hit the water. But when Lee's hand touched the water, he noticed something drastic. He pulled out his hand to look at it. "That's weird. I just stuck my entire hand in the spring, yet I didn't get wet" the goofy-eyed man remarked.

Shikamaru simply raised an eyebrow when hearing this. "You're kidding me, right? I mean, this entire spring is made out of liquid for crying out loud" he said before noticing Chouji sticking his hand in the spring. "Whoa, what are you doing, Chouji?" he asked his best friend.

"Lee's not joking here, Shikamaru. Go ahead and touch the water. It doesn't wet you" Chouji told him, as he had also taken notice of his hand not getting wet.

While some were curious about the green water, Naruto and some of his comrades were having a quick gathering to address this. From the looks of it, it would seem they had found what they came for.

"I don't know what you guys think, but given that the water's not wet, means that it's only being used for something else. It's like a camouflage" Naruto noted while observing the spring.

"Well, then that can only mean one thing. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sakura asked those around her.

Most of them nodded their heads as a yes to her question. "Yes. This must be the secret portal to the Moon" Shino answered Sakura while taking a glance at some of his bugs on his finger. "Even now, my insects detect enormous activity in this area. It belongs to people with an enormous amount of Chakra" the man with the sunglasses noted.

"Well if it's really the portal to the Moon, what are all standing here for?" Kiba asked out impatiently while Akamaru glanced at his partner with a worried expression. "Obviously whoever made this portal must have created this spring of water to disguise it from outsiders. There, you have it! Can we move one, now!?" he asked impatiently and proceeded to move towards the green spring.

"Kiba, not now" Shino sternly told his teammate to stop acting so reckless.

"Yeah, come back here. We can't be entirely sure whether or not it's safe to enter the portal" Tenten pointed out, supporting Shino's sentiments.

Kiba stopped in his tracks and quickly turned around to glance at them with an irritated expression. "Oh, for fuck's sake! What is there to be worried about some damn portal!?" the brown-haired man asked impatiently. "I mean, can't we focus on…." Kiba was interrupted by the voice of Naruto.

"Just cut it out, Kiba! Enough of your pouting!" Naruto blurted out, his blue eyes fixated upon Naruto. Kiba's own feral eyes was glaring at him in return. The blonde-haired man took some steps, still facing Kiba with a deep frown. "Can you please start acting like an adult and listen to our advices? I get it! I also wanna save Hinata as much you do! But acting so reckless and impulsive won't bring us any closer in saving her! Now you understand me!?" Naruto strictly told his friend, in a tone which was very mature.

However, Kiba only got furious once Hinata was being mentioned before him. "Don't you fucking dare say her name to me, you bum-ass son of a…" before he could confront Naruto, Shino and Lee were blocking his way. Kiba scowled.

"Damn it, Kiba. I thought you were better than this" Shino expressed his opinions of his teammate. "During my wedding, I thought you had at least changed into a more reasonable and understandable man. But I guess I was wrong" the man with sunglasses pointed out sternly.

Despite this, Kiba was not gonna be backed down just because his teammate told him to do. "Tch, changed? I'm the one I've always been, Shino! And I still wanna make sure Hinata feels happy! Unlike that blonde faggot and that melancholic boyfriend of his!" Kiba spat out while venting his anger on Naruto.

The moment, Naruto heard Sasuke being mentioned and badmouthed, he snapped. He was about to angrily push Lee and Shino aside and confront the immature Inuzuka, only to stop when he noticed Sakura walking past him, Lee and Shino. The pinkette was getting furious and she actually confronted Kiba by grabbing the collar of his vest. The brown-haired man was only stunned to see a kunoichi get angry at him.

"Say something negatively about Naruto or Sasuke one more time, and I'll punch you till you fly! Are we clear!?" Sakura sternly warned Kiba, who only sweated while seeing how angry she was right now.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Sakura! I was just being sarcastic, I swear!" Kiba told her.

This, however, did not sway Sakura so easily. "No! It was you acting like a selfish asshole as usual!" Sakura yelled, being on the verge of giving Kiba a knuckle-sandwich. But something kept her from unleashing her anger on him. Sighing deeply, Sakura let go of her grip on Kiba's vest and glared at him. "As I said before, that attitude will cost you, Kiba. Make sure it doesn't become a liability to us. Believe me, it won't bring us any closer in saving Hinata" he pinkette told him before proceeding towards the spring. Others were soon joining up with her.

Kiba was filled with so many thoughts right now, and he even wanted to yell something back at Sakura. However, considering that it had been a kunoichi who had mentioned him about Hinata, he found his cool. Akamaru walked up to Kiba and sat beside him, even starting to lick his right hand. The brown-haired man had to smile at his canine partner.

"Thanks, Akamaru. I know I can always count on you" Kiba thanked him before sighing, realizing what was really bothering him. He even began patting Akamaru's head "I'm just really worried about Hinata. I should've been there to protect her against those bastards. Hopefully, I'll be able to look at her one last time before the world goes under…..if I'm to believe it, that is" the brown-haired man noted before glancing over to the gang, who had gathered near the spring. "Come on, buddy. Let's go and save Hinata" he told his partner.

The Moon Expedition was standing right before the spring and were ready to go through the portal. But first, Naruto need to make sure Aoshi, Genma and Raido had done as he asked them to.

"We just received a message from Lady Tsunade and her team at the Hokage Tower. From what they told us, she's already started to make contact with all Five Great Hidden Villages, including the Stone and Cloud Villages" Raido told Naruto while making sure the others listened.

Naruto nodded with a smile. "Great, just what I hoped to hear" he said before forming a more serious expression on his face. "You've sent the message to Grandma, right?" he then asked them.

"Sure. We told her we're going through the portal" Genma told him before glancing at the spring with green water. "But the only question that remains to be answered is whether we'll be able to communicate with the Leaf Village once we're through the other side of that portal. You never know the kinda predicament we'll be in" he then explained.

"If that happens, then we'll just have to improvise" Shikamaru stated while taking a glance at the Armageddon Countdown Clock. "From the looks of it, we've got plenty of time. But that means we can't screw up or waste time" he noted before putting the clock back in his pockets. "I'm up for heading into the portal. Are you?" Shikamaru expressed his willingness while asking others.

Lee simply gave everyone his confidential grin. "Who are you kidding!? I'm always up for a challenge such as this!" he exclaimed while suddenly holding an arm around Tenten, who was caught by surprise. "With me and Tenten onboard, we make one heck of an expedition!" the black-haired man told his friends.

"Heh, did you really need to say this, Lee?" Tenten wondered to herself, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Realizing that the Moon Expedition was ready to go and that they were waiting for him, Naruto reached out a hand and made sure everyone else put their hand in the middle. Even Akamaru had to put his paw with them. "Then let's get Hinata back and save the world! And I'll promise you, guys: we're gonna make it back to the Leaf Village alive! Are you with me!?" he asked loudly, wanting to make sure everyone was onboard.

"YEAAAAAAHHHHH!" the entire expedition said together while raising their hands in the air.

Without delay, the Moon Expedition jumped into the spring of green water, not feeling anything while they went through it. In fact, it didn't even feel like real water. But when they entered the portal, they were entering some kind of dimension where everything that surrounded them was nothing but darkness. However, there existed various orbs in this dimension, some which were earthen in composition. These orbs gave the Moon Expedition some light and it helped them with seeing who where they would go. But from the looks of it, this dimension almost seemed like a system of caverns.

Naruto and his friends were stunned as they looked around to see where they had arrived in. "Man. This looks almost like a labyrinth or something. And what kind of crystals are those?" Naruto wondered as she took notice of the orbs that were earthen in composition.

"Must be for decoration, I guess" Shikamaru said while shrugging his shoulders.

"Either way, we gotta find a way out of here" Sakura told everyone. "It appears to me that once we reach the exit of this place, we'll reach the Moon" she told everyone.

Tenten smiled as she heard the Moon being mentioned. "I hate to sound weird or anything, but I wonder what life is like on the Moon. I mean, didn't a civilization exist on it once?" the brunette asked her friends while feeling curious to know more.

"That is something you humans will never live to find out" all members of the Moon Expedition snapped as they heard a voice calling to them from above. Looking up, the majority were stunned to see a pale-skinned man with his eyelids closed standing on one of these crystals. However, he soon jumped down from it until he reached the ground, on the same level as the Moon Expedition was standing on. This was Toneri Otsutsuki standing there while glancing at him smugly. "It took only a matter of time before you discovered the place I had used to appear on your world. How poetic" he then said with a hint of humor in his voice, although this could be seen as a way of taunting the Moon Expedition.

"Hey…..that guy's….." Lee uttered out lowly, only for Naruto to finish his sentence.

"Toneri Otsutsuki…that smug bastard" Naruto said the name for everyone to hear. He narrowed his blue eyes in the process. "You finally decide to show your face again. Obviously, you must have the guts to do so, given what you did yesterday" he then reminded the mysterious man about his actions in the Leaf Village.

Kiba was raising an eyebrow when he got a glimpse of who Toneri Otsutsuki really was. For some reason, he couldn't take the tall man seriously, especially since he had his eyelids closed. But then again, he was very certain about this man being responsible for abducting the Hyuugas, including Hinata.

"I know why you are all here, or what your intentions are for that matter" Toneri told them in a smug manner. "Honestly, what purpose will this serve? I have already told you about your fate. Your precious world will be eliminated and rebuilt from its ashes. Such is the will of my ancestor" he then told them, still adamant about their doom arriving.

Naruto simply snorted as he heard this. "You know, you can cut this fate crap or whatever the hell you're rambling about. It's not gonna make us change our minds" he told Toneri, growing weary about his arrogant attitude. "Now as for our intentions, it's more than about stopping you" he explained.

"He speaks the truth" Shino spoke up while raising his voice a little. "You took something very valuable from the Leaf Village. That is why we have made this expedition to bring it back" the man with sunglasses pointed out sternly.

Toneri had to frown as he heard this coming from them. "Are you talking about the Hyuuga clan?" he then asked them while feeling a little dismissive of the group. In fact, he even chuckled at them, probably in an effort to poke fun at their rescue attempt. "You are all blindly running into your demises. The Hyuugas are already in my possession. And so is their heir. She is quite the women I must admit" he then told them while indirectly mentioning Hinata.

The moment Kiba heard Hinata being mentioned, his feral instincts started to take hold on him. "What did that bastards just say!?" he then asked lowly. Without even thinking, he began taking small steps towards Toneri, much to the surprise of his comrades. "Hey you! What the hell have you done to Hinata!?" he then barked out towards Toneri.

"I have done nothing to her, simpleton. I have given her hospitality and all that she needs. She is after all….my future bride" Toneri told Kiba while the others were listening.

All members of the Moon Expedition were outraged to hear what he had just said, especially Sakura and Tenten, who were women. "After what you did to her father and sister yesterday, you expect her to be your bride!? You're dangerously deluded!" Sakura called out to him.

"Yeah, there's no way Hinata would ever do something like that!" Tenten joined in on the protest.

Toneri frowned deeply. "None of you fools don't have a choice in this matter! Since I was a little boy, it had already been decided that Hinata was to become my bride in the future. The will of the Otsutsuki clan can't be denied" he explained to the gang, who was still confused from what they were hearing. "When the Otsutsuki-line and the Hyuuga-line merges, it will become an unstoppable line, capable of making emperors and gods!

Kiba was growing more frustrated by hearing this. "But she doesn't wanna marry you! Are you seriously that damn stupid!? What makes you think she would accept you as her husband!?" the brown-haired man barked at him.

"She is a woman, she doesn't know anything! After I "reclaimed" my eyes from her foolish father and ignorant sister, then she was all for my taking!" Toneri spoke with venom in his voice, while glancing at Kiba with dissatisfaction. "And who are you, a mere oaf, to judge me? You are nothing to Hinata, just a waste of space and a…" Toneri stopped speaking when he could notice and enraged Kiba jumping in the air while preparing to land a fist on him.

Toneri jumped to avoid Kiba, forcing the brown-haired man to punch the rocky ground, thus making a large hole on it. He was growling like a wild animal, his eyes only becoming more feral by the minute. Kiba turned his attention on Toneri, who was still glancing at him with a frown.

"I don't wanna hear her name from your filthy mouth!" Kiba barked at him.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: This was chapter 15. Some of the chapters may be focused too much on Hinata, but that's because I want her to have the spotlight. I also want the same thing for Ino and Tenten, given that Sakura was given way too much attention in the canon manga. And while Toneri will play an important role, I haven't forgotten Sasuke and his mission with the Crimson Dragon. And how will this terrorist trio be dragged into this crisis? Only time will tell.**


	16. To Yield or Not to Yield

**Author's note: For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: To Yield or Not to Yield**

 _Inside a hidden dimension, somewhere in the world_

Having just wandered through the portal, the Moon Expedition currently found themselves in a dimension that seemed to be a gateway between the Earth and the Moon. The members were about to explore more of this mysterious cavern, only for them to stumble upon something they didn't expect to: Toneri Otsutsuki. This man was the one responsible for moving the Moon towards the Earth, as well as capturing the majority of the Hyuuga clan, including its head and other important leading members. That is why this mission did not just revolve around saving the world, but also on retrieving the captured Hyuugas.

Toneri Otsutsuki, having just avoided Kiba's attack, now stood on one of the many crystals in the area. Even though his eyelids were closed, he could still see where Kiba were standing. The repulsive man had been enraged when finding out about Toneri's plans for Hinata. So far, the mysterious man took pleasure in pushing his buttons, as it only made Kiba more furious.

"I am confused" Toneri spoke up. "Why is Hinata that much important to a primitive oaf such as you? From what I can hear in the tone of your voice, it sounds like you and her are very close to one another" the pale-skinned man noted while specifically addressing this to Kiba.

The brown-haired man's anger was boiling inside of him. "Hinata and I have been friends since childhood! We also were teammates for may years! She has no business with the likes of you!" he spat at Toneri, who remained unfazed while hearing this.

"Hmmm…so you and her were childhood friends? Sounds touchy to hear" Toneri remarked as a means of taunting Kiba. "But if you and her are friends as you say you are, then you should be endorsing her marriage to me. The rest of you may also want to do the same" he then spoke up to include everyone in the Moon Expedition. They were all outraged to hear what he was saying to them.

Shikamaru scoffed at his words. "Tch, only in your dreams!" he said to him dismissively.

"Do you even realize how delusional you sound right now!?" Tenten asked, the young woman filled with disbelief over hearing Toneri's adamant claim that he and Hinata were to become a couple.

"Hinata will never accept a marriage to someone like you!" Chouji said, the chubby man having enough strength to speak up like an adult for once. "Now give us back her and her family! They don't belong to someone who treats women as an object!" he added to his statement.

Toneri simply frowned when hearing what they were saying. "I don't take orders from worms like you!" he blurted out in return before jumping down from the crystal he was standing on, facing the Moon Expedition once again. "Now as for your quest to stop me. You will never reach the Moon, but you can certainly try" he then dared them all to come after him.

"It's not that we're trying here, you overgrown spoiled brat" the voice came from Naruto, the blonde-haired man facing Toneri with eyes of determination. "We WILL make it through and reach the Moon. Then, we'll find your castle, palace or whatever the hell you call your home. And then, we'll end your madness and save Hinata and her family" Naruto told him, still showing everyone that he was not the type of person to give up.

Toneri only frowned when hearing this in return before forming a slight smirk with his mouth. "Well then. I take it you will all reach the Moon, assuming you survive the Gatekeeper, that is" he then told them, still trying to toy with their emotions. And he could already see that it worked well on Kiba. "But even if you manage to defeat it, how will you be able to fight me on the Moon? I have an entire army waiting for you, as well as a new source of power. Your rescue attempt is flawed. The wedding WILL take place and there is nothing you ants can do to….." Toneri's talking was interrupted when he could once again see Kiba charge towards him, jumping up in the air to perform an assault on him.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, BASTARD!" Kiba yelled and quickly used one of the techniques from the Inuzuka clan. "TUNNELING FANG!" he yelled and a powerful shockwave erupted as he hit where Toneri was standing on.

"DAMN IT, KIBA! CAN'T YOU RESTRAIN YOURSELF!?" Shino angrily berated his teammate from what he was seeing.

Sakura gritted her teeth in irritation. "I KNEW that his anger would become a liability to us!" she remarked when seeing Kiba's recklessness.

When the dust settled, the members of the Moon Expedition could see that Kiba had managed to create a small crater and that he was currently standing above Toneri, ready to hit his face senseless. But something prevented him from doing that. Those around him could now see why. Half of Toneri's face was shattered, yet there was not a single shed of blood. Futhermore, an eyeball could be seen hanging and this only indicated one thing.

"No.…...it can't be…" Naruto uttered out those words lowly. "Is he also…a puppet?" the blonde-haired man asked lowly.

Laughter could be heard from "Toneri", who was just another of his puppets controlled by the real one. He headbutted Kiba, thus sending him a few feet away. The puppet then proceeded to jump out of the crater and glance at the members of the Moon Expedition with a smug smile.

"You are correct, Jinchuuriki. This is only a puppet that I personally created in my image. However, I am currently speaking to you through it. Don't tell me that you thought I was that weak" the puppet told them.

All the members only growled when seeing what he had just done to them. They had all though that it was the real Toneri, only to be shown that he was a fake. It angered them all on the inside. To think they had been fooled so easily.

"So all this time…...you were only toying with us?" Sakura asked, the pinkette feeling slightly angered over what Toneri had done to her and her friends.

"You're a despicable fiend!" Lee muttered underneath his breath.

"Throw all the insults you want, none of that will help you when you are facing off against the REAL me" the puppet spoke with Toneri's voice. He then took notice of Kiba climbing up from the crater. "And as for you, beast. I understand, that before I came to pick up Hinata and her family, she was already having some "enamoring" feelings towards a certain ruffian. I take it you must be this ruffian, am I correct?" he then told Kiba, while trying to push his buttons once again.

Kiba growled, thus showing the puppet his feral teeth. "Stay away from her, you son of a bitch!" he told him.

The puppet mused to himself, and it was obvious that Toneri was amused. "Your rude response alone proves it. Honestly, what does Hinata see in a repulsive fool such as you? Obviously, she must have poor taste in men" Toneri insulted Kiba, who got angrier by the minute. "Besides, why would Hinata ever marry a man who comes from a clan of barbarians? She is of noble and celestial lineage. She deserves a better husband and caretaker at her side, which is why she will marry me!" the pale-skinned stranger then exclaimed.

"TAKE BACK WHAT YOU JUST SAID YOU…..." Kiba stopped when seeing the puppet turn attention on the Moon Expedition thus ignoring him.

"And as for your desire to save your wretched world. You are already too late! The world that the Sage of the Six Paths created will come to an end. Such is the will of my ancestor: Hamura Otsutsuki. Try stopping me if you can! But in the end, you can't deny your fate!" the puppet with Toneri's voice and appearance gave them his dark proclamation before turning into nothing but bits. It was apparent that Toneri had commanded the puppet to self-destruct, now that it was no longer of use to him.

"Shit…...that bastard really fooled us with this trick" Shikamaru remarked before taking a glance at the clock on his arm. "Things have begun to change since last time I checked, but we still got enough time" the man with the ponytail told everyone around him.

"Then we best be quick as possible" Chouji said while agreeing with his friend. But the chubby man and those around him soon took notice of Naruto approaching Kiba, his face filled with anger. "Uh oh, this does not look good" Chouji thought while seeing this.

Kiba was not sure what Naruto's deal was. Yet it didn't stop him from asking Naruto. "Hey…...what's your deal? Shouldn't we be…." Kiba was interrupted when Naruto threw a punch at him on in the middle of his face. This sent him flying towards the ground and those around the two men were shocked from what they were seeing.

"You damn idiot!" Naruto cursed angrily while glaring at Kiba. "When are you gonna grow up!?" he then asked, demanding an answer out of Kiba.

"Naruto! What are you doing?" Sakura walked up to him, hoping to not let her boyfriend start a physical fight with Kiba.

The brown-haired man angrily glared up at Naruto in return, wiping off the blood from his nose and mouth. Akamaru approached his side, hoping to help his partner up.

"What the hell was that for!?…you cocksucker!" Kiba angrily asked Naruto.

"Why don't you just shut up and listen to yourself for once!?" Naruto suddenly slammed him. "You're such a fool, Kiba! A reckless, selfish and impulsive fool! Why can't you follow orders and not disrespect authority when you have me as your captain!? I'm getting fed up with your know-it-all attitude and your brainless thinking!" the blonde-haired man was now expressing his utter dissatisfaction with Kiba.

Hearing this only made Kiba more infuriated on the inside and he rose up to his feet and glared back at Naruto. "Like I would ever get tamed by someone like you! You think you're even better than this Toneri-bastard!? You couldn't even make Hinata happy! And guess what, I made her happy! I gave her what she wanted! She only wanted to be loved! To be wanted! And I even went as far as to have sex with her in order to make her feel those things! You never did any of that!" Kiba spoke up, with tears starting to slowly fall from his feral eyes.

All members of the Moon Expedition were stunned to hear the words that Kiba just said. Was it true? Had he and Hinata been having…sex? There was so many questions bubbling in their heads, yet they were more focused on this confrontation between Kiba and Naruto. Despite hearing this, Naruto could only stand and listen closely, his narrowing eyes still filled with disdain over Kiba's behavior. While he had been surprised to hear what his aggressive friend just told him, Naruto could tell that something was not right with Kiba on the inside. Therefore, he decided to have a talk with him.

Naruto sighed deeply before speaking up. "Hey Kiba. If you think that I don't want Hinata to be happy…then you're mistaken. And the reason I say this is because…me and she did actually date at some point…before you and she did" the blonde-haired man revealed to the brown-haired man.

Kiba's feral eyes widened in utter surprise when hearing what Naruto just told him. "You mean…...you and she…" Kiba spoke up only to be given answer with Naruto nodding his head at him weakly in return.

"Yeah. We did. I suppose Hinata never told you this, did she? Of course, she wouldn't, as she's not the type of girl to share her thoughts about dating with anyone else" Naruto said. For some reason, Naruto was facing Kiba with a more understandable and sympathetic expression and it surprised the brown-haired man. He was now about to tell him something very personal. "A couple of weeks after the war ended…me and Hinata started hanging out often, and that eventually resulted in us going out on dates…...but even so…neither of us thought of ourselves as lovers. We never even so much as kissed. We did exchange friendly hugs and all…but that's what we did. It was fun while it lasted, but we eventually decided to end the romance and rather stay as close friends…..." the blonde-haired man told Kiba as honest as he could.

Kiba's feral eyes were still widening with tears falling from them. "W-What…what are you saying…" he uttered out the question lowly.

"There was actually a time when I thought I cared for Hinata. And there was actually a time when she thought she cared for me. But in the end.…..neither of us felt like keeping this relationship as lovers" Naruto answered his friend. "And from what Hinata told me, she thought that I was not the same Naruto as the one she had met during the Academy days…...the same Naruto that inspired her to muster enough courage…the same Naruto that followed what his own heart desired. She missed that kind of me. And I also felt the same thing about her" the blonde-haired men went on explaining how he and Hinata had been dating briefly after the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Kiba did not know how to respond to this. He didn't know whether he should've been angry or happy. But he never opened his mouth to say anything. He continued to listen to Naruto tell him everything.

"And that led me to muster enough courage to seek Sakura's heart. And here we are" Naruto told Kiba as Sakura walked up to her boyfriend, eventually leaning onto him. Naruto was still glancing at Kiba. "So I tell you this, Kiba. I want to make Hinata happy, but not as her lover…but as her close friend. She also feels the same thing for me. Even though our relationship didn't work out, Hinata never gave up her quest to find someone she could love. And I take it that it was you whom she found to love, Kiba" Naruto then said, explaining the rest to Kiba.

The rest of Naruto's friends understood what he was trying to tell Kiba. They knew Naruto was actually entrusting him to watch over Hinata, take care of her, as well as look after her, given the fact they were lovers.

"Believe me, Kiba. I also want to save Hinata. For how can I call myself a friend of hers if I leave her behind?" Naruto then pointed out to his friend.

Still in shock over everything he had heard, Kiba finally responded to Naruto by weakly nodding his head at him. This was his way of saying that he understood Naruto's intentions. Naruto himself smiled, happy to see that his friend was no longer relying on his anger and rage. Things began calming down and the blonde-haired man turned his attention on everyone in the group.

"Alright. We better move on! I can't imagine what that bastard is thinking now that he knows we're coming for him" Naruto told them.

The Moon Expedition proceeded to move through the caverns, still taking notice of the many orbs and crystal that existed. So far, none of them had made any attempt to touch the orbs, as they felt very tricky. The only thing they were more concerned about was the safety of the Earth, as well as rescuing Hinata and her family. The silence was interrupted when Sakura spoke up.

"Stay sharp, gang. There's no telling what danger lies in these caverns" the pinkette told her friends as her own emeralds eyes scanned the area for anything suspicious.

Shino was holding his hand up as some of his insects had returned to him. "Hmmm…...for some reason…..my insects detect a large amount of Chakra nearby. They can't verify what it is…but we're not alone in this dimension" the man with the sunglasses noted as he watched the insects crawl under the sleeve of his jacket.

When hearing Shino's words, something hit inside Lee's head. "You know, this Toneri-guy said something about a Gatekeeper living in here. What did he mean by that?" he suddenly spoke up, thus recalling what Toneri had told them.

Tenten slumped her face when hearing this. "Ugh! Please don't bring that up, Lee. It's inappropriate since we're not in a conflict right now" the brunette begged her boyfriend.

"Inappropriate or not, Lee does have a right to bring that up" Shikamaru pointed out to Tenten while concentrating on the path they were following. "Honestly, I would be surprised if they kept this dimension unguarded or at the very least little secured" he then added to his opinion.

"Yeah, if that puppet was the only thing guarding this place then this Toneri-dude really has poor taste in security, no offense" Chouji spoke up, agreeing with what Shikamaru just said. He even began looking around and noticed how much everything remained the same in the cavern as they were walking. "I don't know about you guys, but I feel like we're walking in a labyrinth or something. It makes me feel unsafe" he then admitted to his comrades.

Naruto looked over his shoulder to glance at Chouji with a smile. "No need to panic, Chouji. As long as we're together, we'll be fine. Trust me" he assured the chubby man.

"You heard the captain" Shikamaru told Chouji smugly while nudging him with his elbow.

The chubby man with the small facial hair on his chin only groaned when hearing this. "You always say that?" he asked Shikamaru.

The Moon Expedition continued moving, but they froze in their tracks when hearing a loud growl coming from somewhere. Every member stood still, not moving a muscle. But some of them were glancing around to see whether someone was actually near them or not. Looking to both sides, they saw nothing.

"What the hell was that…" Genma asked lowly. "It sounded like a…growl" the jounin admitted to his comrades.

"Whatever it was, we best stay put. Something's watching us!" Raido said while encouraging the others to follow his advice.

"Yeah, but where!? I don't see anything!" Tenten said

The Moon Expedition stopped and looked around. But they all snapped when they could hear Akamaru bark. From what they saw, he was sniffing on the ground of dirt, while Kiba was leaning close to listen what it was.

"EVERYONE TAKE COVER!" Kiba yelled to all of them.

But it was already too late for the Moon Expedition. From beneath the cavern sediment, something appeared and surprised all the shinobis. It was an ambush! Luckily for the shinobis, they were fast enough to get off whatever the monster was and when they did it, they got a better look of who it was that had just attacked them. From what they could see, it was an enormous fiddler crab. It had a red-colored exoskeleton with yellow and blue stripes in its eight legs and two asymmetric pincers, along with many sharp teeth. It also had a white crown-like structure in its head. Needless to say, it was a giant monster that was attacking the Moon Expedition right now.

"What the hell…WHAT IS THAT THING!?" Shikamaru asked loudly from what he was seeing.

"It looks like a giant fiddler crab!" Shino stated while seeing the giant creature growl. "This explains why my insects were unable to locate it. It was waiting for us to come here!" he then realized.

"Then this must be the Gatekeeper Toneri informed us about" Sakura noted grimly before turning her attention to Naruto. "What shall we do now? That thing will try to prevent us from reaching this dimension's exit" she informed him while wondering if he had any plans on his mind.

Naruto cracked his knuckles as he glanced up at the beast. "It doesn't matter what kind of thing it is. We won't let this crab stand in our way! Shikamaru! You know what to do!" he said while barking at Shikamaru.

"What, me!?" Shikamaru asked before sighing in defeat. "Alright! But only this time, Naruto!" he said and suddenly made some preparations for a technique. "This will take some time, though! Keep it busy!" Shikamaru then said to his friends who listened closely.

Lee, Tenten, Naruto, Kiba, Sakura and Chouji decided to go head to head with the Gatekeeper, who was beginning to move its giant pincer at them. They all avoided by jumping above it, yet they would now have to attack him now.

"Akamaru! Human Beast Clone!" Kiba told his partner who barked happily in return before transforming himself into a clone of Kiba. Kiba grinned as he and his canine partner were now ready to attack the Gatekeeper. "MAN-BEAST ULTIMATE TAIJUTSU: FANG OVER FANG!» Kiba exclaimed as he and Akamaru began spinning towards their opponent in ferocious speed.

But as the hit the Gatekeeper in its face, the beast managed to block their attacks with the help of its shell. Both Kiba and Akamaru fell backwards as the Gatekeeper began was about to attack once again with his giant pincer.

"Oh no! Kiba and Akamaru are in danger!" Tenten said.

"Not if I can help it!" Chouji exclaimed and used his family's technique. "HUMAN JACKHAMMER!" he shouted and landed his big palms unto the ground, causing a huge shockwave for the Gatekeeper.

The Gatekeeper was slowly beginning to lose balance, yet that did not mean it was quitting eliminating the intruders. The creature began glancing at the shinobis who was confronting it and to their surprise fired water from its mouth. It astounded everyone.

"What!? This thing is capable of water based jutsus?" Sakura asked in disbelief from seeing this.

"I don't know. But we can't let that water take Shikamaru!" Tenten told her fellow kunoichi before getting an idea. "Wait! I may have a solution to this!" she told her friends.

"Then fill us in" Naruto said to her, only to see Tenten opening one of her scrolls.

"Dragon Bomb!" Tenten said and it released a large flaming dragon that explodes upon getting into contact with the rocky ceiling in the cavern. This resulted in large rocks falling down on the Gatekeeper. "Everyone, fall back!" the brunette then told her comrades.

These giant rocks began landing on the ground, thus preventing the water from reaching Shikamaru. Needless to say, Tenten had created a damn that stopped the water. But the Gatekeeper was not so easily finished and proceeded to move towards the damn.

Naruto moved over to Shikamaru's side. Both of them were standing on the damn, thus facing the Gatekeeper "Alright buddy! Are you ready?" he asked his friend as they could see the monster heading towards them.

"Aye, aye, captain! Here it comes!" Shikamaru said smugly as he faced the monster. "Ninja Art: Shadow Stitching Jutsu!" he said loudly before trapping and attacking the Gatekeeper by using materialized shadows. Surprisingly, it succeeded in holding the beast tightly, yet Shikamaru needed to concentrate. "OKAY…FINISH HIM OFF!" Shikamaru said to his comrades.

As the Gatekeeper was standing still, it could feel somebody infiltrate its body, or more specifically its eyes. The two eyes suddenly exploded and out came two giant kidaichus. The young Aburame was standing not far while empowering his insects.

"Parasitic Gigantic Beetle Infestation!" Shino said while making sure his insects were doing their jobs. "This crab has very strong shell on the outside. That is why I decided to use my insects to weaken it from the inside. I could only use it thanks to the crab's opening mouth" he noted while making sure he gave enough Chakra to his kidaichus.

As the Gatekeeper was struggling with this, Sakura suddenly stood on the water and rushed towards the giant creature. However, he could notice the creature using its giant pincer to defend itself despite being restrained only for Lee to jump and deliver a powerful attack on the pincer.

"LEAF HURRICANE!" Lee yelled while delivering his kick, thus sending the pincer away, almost breaking it. The black-haired man smiled at Sakura while giving her a thumb gesture. "Okay, Sakura! Aim for its upper carapace!" he told her.

"Right! Thanks for the help, Lee!" Sakura told him before launching herself towards her target. She yelled as she jumped into the air before diving towards the beast with her enhanced strength. With all her might, she managed to hit the Gatekeeper's upper carapace, crushing it along with its inner organs and expelling large amount of a yellow liquid-like substance. But despite this, it was still alive. "Go for him, Naruto!" Sakura told the blonde-haired man.

While his friends had done their share of harming the Gatekeeper, Naruto had activated his Tailed Beast Mode and called Kurama to his side once again. The Nine-Tailed Fox was more than happy to assist his partner and they were together making preparations for a Tailed Beast Bomb. It was generating fast, thanks to the combined efforts of both Naruto and Kurama.

"ALRIGHT KURAMA! LET'S GIVE HIM WHAT HE DESERVES!" Naruto said as the powerful ball of Chakra was finished. "I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL, CRABCAKE! TAILED BEAST BOMB!" he loudly exclaimed before firing the ball straight towards the Gatekeeper.

The shadows that was previously binding it had vanished, yet the Gatekeeper still didn't possess the power to move. It was completely paralyzed. The Tailed Beast Bomb reached its target and an explosion appeared, which caused tremendous aftershock in the caverns. But surprisingly, the rocky ceiling showed no signs of falling apart, and once the smoke cleared, the shinobis could see nothing but a crater. That was all that remained of the Gatekeeper.

The Moon Expedition regrouped once again, celebrating their win over this ferocious beast. Everyone was feeling confident in themselves over this victory, even though there were still more battles to be fought in the future.

"Yeah! We did it, team!" Naruto exclaimed smugly while glancing at what remained of the Gatekeeper. "All of you did great! Especially you, Shikamaru" the blonde-haired man told his second-in-command.

"Tch, you're welcome, captain" he replied sarcastically.

As they were seen standing in the dark, the Moon Expedition quickly took notice of a ray of sunshine landing upon them. From what they could tell, it was come the way that lead them upwards in the cavern. They were all stunned by seeing an opening with blue skies and clouds. But on the other hand, this indicated that this was the exit of this dimension. Not bothering wasting more time, the Moon Expedition walked up towards the exit, only to arrive in something they never have expected to find themselves in.

"What the hell…" Kiba asked lowly.

"My god…" Shikamaru noted as he saw what they had arrived at.

Right now, the Moon Expedition was standing on a rock in the middle of a lake. But there were land surrounding the lake on all sides, which included forests and mountains. The sky above them was pale blue and it even had the sun shining in it. Whether they had arrived at the Moon or not was a mystery. But all things considered, it was drastically different from what they had been expecting.

"So, this is it…" Naruto said lowly as he watched the golden sun in the air before covering it with his right hand. "This…...is the Moon?" he then wondered, his head filled with curiosity.

"But something doesn't seem right here" Sakura said as she looked around the rocky island they were standing on. "To me, it almost seems like we're back on Earth" the pinkette noted to herself.

"Everyone, look up!" Shino said while pointing his finger up in the sky. Since he wore sunglasses, he probably could see things better than those with him, except for Aoshi, who also wore sunglasses. "It may be my sunglasses, but I think see something floating high beside the sun!" he then told them.

Everyone did as he said, yet some of his friends had difficulties in getting a better view of it. "I can't see anything past that damn sun. You sure you didn't see a patch of clouds or something?" Genma asked Shino.

"Yeah, not to mention that the sun here is unusually shining bright" Tenten added, the young brunette also struggling to see due to the powerful sun.

"Shino's not joking here, guys. I actually see it now" Naruto suddenly told everyone. "If you look closely, you'll see a floating landmass high in the sky. I don't know whether it's true or not, but it looks like a floating landmass" he said what he saw.

Everyone did as Naruto said, and they were all filled with shock when they realized that there was indeed a landmass floating high in the skies. It was floating beneath the sun itself. But despite being able to see it, they had yet to clarify what they could see on that floating landmass.

"Whoa…" Chouji uttered the word in astonishment. "How can there exists something like that? Now this only confirms to me that we're on the Moon…somehow" he said, yet feeling uncertain about what to say.

"Shit…..and I thought I had seen the most unbelievable things back home" Kiba remarked to himself, he too feeling surprised over what to find on this realm.

"But the question that remains…..is what's up there" Shikamaru said.

Naruto narrowed his blue eyes while glancing up at the floating landmass. "I think there's an obvious answer to that, Shikamaru" he told his second-in-command, still glancing upwards. "It must be there where it is. It must there were Toneri's holding up, somewhere high above the ground and close to the sun. Based on my own hypothesis, it sounds like an idea place to be dwelling on, let alone control the Moon to destroy something" Naruto added while suggesting what he thought was on the floating landmass.

"Can you be sure?" Sakura asked him, yet she could see Naruto remaining firm on his belief. Sakura nodded her head at him in return. "Then I guess we'll have to trust your instincts" she said while smiling at her boyfriend.

While Naruto was figuring out what to plan next, he took notice of Aoshi, Raido and Genma checking out their communication devices. Now that they were on the Moon, it was a perfect chance for them to test if they could still receive some data from Earth. But they didn't seem to work now that they were far away.

"It's no use. We can't get any signal from Lady Tsunade or any others back on Earth" Aoshi told his fellow jounins.

"Damn it! At this rate, the only thing we'll be able to communicate with the Leaf Village is if they are able to set up a giant transmitter or something" Raido cursed beneath his breath while sighing overseeing the devices not working. "But until then, we're stuck on the Moon without communication. We and those on Earth will have to rely on the Armageddon Countdown Clock" the brown-haired man with the scar on his face told those around him while glancing at the clock on Shikamaru's arm.

"There's still time on the clock. But it that means we gotta keep moving" Shikamaru said while glancing at Naruto. "So, you got any ideas for what to do next? You're the captain here, Naruto" he then asked him.

Naruto, had been glancing up towards the floating landmass for a while, turned around to face his comrades with a smile. "Of course, I have ideas, my second-in-command. And that revolves around finding a way to reach up to that place. But first, we better move further inland and see if there is anything interesting we can find" he told everyone before returning his focus on the landscape before him. "Maybe if we find more clues here, then perhaps it will help us in explaining how Toneri is able to move the Moon towards the Earth. We best not stand here for long. Let's move out!" Naruto said as he jumped off rock and onto the lake, his friends following him soon after.

Like the water back on Earth, the shinobis were able to use their Chakra to walk on the water on the Moon. Yet somehow, this water felt different. It was as if they didn't even need to use their Chakra to walk on it. From what the Moon Expedition could tell, the water in the lake itself was filled with Chakra. It slightly amazed them. But once they were on land, they ran through the dense forests, hoping to find someplace to rest, as well as search for clues or points of interests.

* * *

 _On the seas in the Land of Water_

Having just been giving orders on what to do next, the Triple Entente consisting of the combined forces of the Leaf's Shadow Squad, the Sand's Grim Guard and the Mist's Divine Division, were now on a ship sailing towards their destination: the mysterious and unfamiliar Island of Tides. Despite the crisis of the Moon soon becoming very international, the alliance of the ANBU Black Ops were ordered to proceed with their mission as usual. There were some reasons for why they were told that.

The three Kages in the Triple Entente suspected that the Island of Tides could have something to do with the current crisis, considering that the island itself was raised from the ocean floor. Who was responsible for such remained unanswered, yet the allies ANBU Black Ops soon discovered something intriguing. From where there had been reported to be a thick fog in the ocean, a powerful source of Chakra had been detected somewhere in that area, near the Kame Island.

Right now, the combined forces were now on a ship sailing towards the direction they suspected the Island of Tides was located. However, it would be difficult to find it, especially thanks to the thick fog that always surrounded ships that sailed in that area. These waters surrounding the Kame Island were uncharted, thus render navigating impossible.

"Okay. We're almost there. It won't be long before this thick fog will appear around us" Shachi Arashiro told his fellow commanders as they were standing on the deck. "While we're smart to sail with a fishing vessel, it won't stop the raiders from boarding us. We better watch our backs, since they will board this ship searching for valuables, as much as they do with transport ships" the man with the metallic mask told them.

"But that won't be a problem" Yugao told him with a smirk forming underneath her lips. "Those raiders may think of us as only fishermen and -women. But once they board this vessel, they'll be in for one hell of a surprise when finding out about an army of ANBU Black Ops onboard" the purple-haired woman then said.

Laughter could be heard from Shachi underneath his metallic mask, indicating that he was amused by her statement. "Well said, Commander Uzuki. I could not be more precise" he complimented her.

"As soon as those raiders attack, we'll fight them and leave few survivors. These few survivors will tell us the location of the Island of Tides, as well as giving us more details about those hooded terrorists" Ibiki Morino explained what their plan was.

"A sentiment I agree with" Baki said before running his only visible to the Moon in the skies. "However, we best hurry and end this mission. Somehow, I can't help but to feel bad for not being back in the Sand Village to help the Kazekage with this crisis, even though he insisted that me and the Grim Guard proceed with this mission" he admitted while feeling somewhat reluctant to be away from the Sand Village.

"We all feel that way" Shachi responded, thus catching everyone's attention. "The Mizukage was also adamant in letting the Divine Division proceed with this. But I think I understand why she, as well as the Hokage and the Kazekage, wanted this. I suppose you may have figured it out as well" he then told his fellow commanders.

Yugao seemed to be the only one understanding him. "Yes. One of the reasons is not only that we are to investigate the powerful source of Chakra that exists on the Island of Tides. But it's also to not let he Stone and Cloud Villages know about the Triple Entente" she revealed what Shachi was actually talking about. "If the Tsuchikage or the Raikage were to discover about us having this cooperation with their knowledge, then it would only complicate the response to this current crisis. They would only become more distrustful of us, thus taking matters into their own hands, rather than listening to our pleas for unity" she then went on explaining.

"Precisely. While our leadership does not like being so secretive, this one is done for the better cause. We all can see that" Shachi assured the other commanders. "Furthermore, the Mist Village has a reason to believe that this Toneri Otsutsuki may have been the one raising the Island of Tides from the depths. From what we can confirm, there exists a powerful source of Chakra on that island, and it does not have its roots on Earth" the man with black suit then added to his explanation.

"Then let us concentrate on the mission ahead. It appears that we are nearing the area where the last boarding of a ship took place" Ibiki pointed out to his cohorts while glancing towards the distance.

While the fishing ship continued sailing, everyone onboard could soon take notice of the fog in the area. While it first appears as thinly-veiled, it soon began to appear thicker as the fishing vessel continued onto the seas. All the shinobis standing on deck became more suspicious as seconds passed, among them Sasuke.

"This fog…is it a jutsu...….or is it natural?" Sasuke wondered lowly as he began seeing how he could only see what was onboard the ship, but nothing else. He was standing with Sai and Yamato, as well as with Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo of the Divine Division.

"I don't know yet. But based upon my experience, this seems too thick to be natural fog" Yamato answered, telling Sasuke what he thought was right.

"Then you're suggesting that this is the result of a ninjutsu?" Sai asked Yamato. "But if this was indeed a ninjutsu, how can it last this long? Cover-type jutsus like that usually have limits" he then pointed out.

"Tch, whatever it is, it sure as hell doesn't scare me!" Suigetsu exclaimed in a laidback manner. "And besides, the fog is the least of our worries. We should rather concentrate on the raiders. A fog like this can't kill a human being" the white-haired man told the Shadow Squad members.

Karin simply groaned in annoyance when hearing this. "Do you always let your mouth to do thinking? Because it sure as hell doesn't help us!" she berated him.

Hearing this made Suigetsu twitch in anger. "What's that supposed to mean, you little…" Suigetsu suddenly had his mouth covered by Juugo, thus shutting him up. The tall man also made sure to move Karin away from him. "What's the big idea, Juugo?" he asked him.

"Reminding you about our mission. Commander Shachi told us to not be noisy while on deck" Juugo replied as simple as he could. He then motioned his head, as if he wanted Suigetsu to watch someone. "And besides, you don't want Hyozan coming at your hide, right?" he then told Suigestu while a smug grin crept on his mouth.

Suigestu simply narrowed his purple eyes while seeing the Divine Division's second-in-command: Hyozan Ishiwata, standing near his counterparts from the Shadow Squad and the Grim Guard.

"Tch…asshole" he muttered lowly beneath his breath while glancing at the swordsman.

Meanwhile, some members of the Grim Guard were standing near the left side of the fishing vessel, trying to get a view of their surroundings. But it was fruitless. Everything around them was foggy. They couldn't even see the rest of the seas, only the sea that the ship was sailing on.

"This fog's very unusual, isn't it? You can't even see the Moon…...or the Sun for that matter" Isago noted while feeling slightly insecure about this. "I don't know what you think. But the air feels…..deceptive" he then told his comrades.

"We all know that. But so far, the seas have been awfully quiet since we sailed into this fog" Maki remarked. "There's no waves here, despite the fact that it's a little windy here" the kunoichi then pointed out, realizing that the ship was moving.

The stern-headed man named Satetsu narrowed his eyes while gazing into the fog. "Yeah. Something tells me that this isn't a natural fog. It's something much more….but what…." Satutsu said, wondering whether this was really the work of ninjutsu or not.

The atmosphere in the fishing vessel was cold and silent, as everyone onboard soon stopped saying a word. All that they could hear was the sound of small waves hitting the fishing vessel, as well as the winds blowing above them. But despite the winds, the fog did not vanish. It remained there like an endless cloud.

However, the silence was soon stopped once they could hear something hit hard on the fishing vessel's right side. It made everyone observant of where the sound came from.

"What the hell!? What just happened!?" Hyozan asked out loud while moving to see what it was that had hit them.

"Commander! There's something stuck on here! It's burning steel!" the member of the Divine Division named Ganryu called out to his superiors as others began observing it.

"This isn't just burning steel!" Hyozan blurted out in outrage. "It's coming from a harpoon cannon!" he then said loudly.

But as he just said it, another loud sound could be heard on the right side. After two seconds, another came. The shinobis onboard could now see that there were three burning steels stuck on the fishing vessel's right side. This only confirmed one thing and one thing only: they were now getting boarded. In fact, they could now see that something large was emerging from the thick fog. It was a ship! On that ship, there were three harpoon cannons, the same ones that had been used to attack the fishing vessel. This ship was larger and the commanders in the Triple Entente could see throngs of raiders standing on the ship's deck, waiting for the ship to be right beside the fishing vessel.

"We're getting boarded! Ready your weapons, Divine Division!" Shachi called out to his subordinates while holding up what looked like a trident. He joined up with his second-in-command. "Rally the members, Hyozan! We're making our stand here! And make sure that both sides of the fishing vessel have good perspectives of what's happening now" he then told the swords man.

"As you command, commander!" Hyozan said while drawing out his blade.

"You heard what he said! To arms, Shadow Squad!" Yugao told her subordinates while drawing her sword. She and Ibiki joined up with them and Asami Nakano, her handpicked second-in-command. "Asami! Make sure that every member is spread on this vessel! We must make sure that the raiders are willing to take the bait and come at us!" she then told her.

Asami fixed a smug smile while hearing this. "Whatever you say" responded to her command.

"Stand your ground, Grim Guard! We shall not fall to these scoundrels!" Baki made a rallying cry to his subordinates while moving close to his second-in-command. "Yutaka, I want you to stand with Sari, Ittetsu, Komaza and the other newbies of the guard. I'll make my stand here with the veterans" he then gave the young woman a command.

Yutaka saluted before him in return. "I'm on it, commander!" she replied before heading over to the members she was tasked to assist.

It didn't take long before hordes of raiders began boarding the fishing vessel, carrying kunai, swords, claws and even explosives. Most of these raiders were mostly common crooks and thugs, yet some rogue ninjas could also be seen in their ranks. Yet they now descended upon the fishing vessels like a pack of rats, ready to go after their food.

Sasuke was only standing his ground while watching a couple of raiders with katanas taking notice of him. Activating his Sharingan, he was prepared to attack whoever came near him. The raiders charged at him, seeing him as just a weak-minded shinobi. But they were sadly underestimating him. Using his sword, Sasuke parried the first raider's attack and pushed him so that he fell on the deck. The other one was about to slash him, yet he was too slow.

"AARRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!" the raider yelled as Sasuke had sucesfully managed to cut his left arm. He was bleeding seriously and yelled in agony. "MY ARM! MY ARM!" he was getting more distressed and weakened by the minute.

Sasuke simply glanced at him with no regret for what he just did. But he could soon take notice of the raider he just parried getting back on his feet. He charged towards Sasuke, having been emboldened by seeing his comrade getting seriously injured.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT! I'LL SLICE OFF YOUR…." Before the Raider could even land an attack, he was already finished as Sasuke stabbed him through his chest. It completely sealed his life and the raider fell dying on his back as soon as Sasuke pulled out his blade.

The raven-haired man only wiped off the blood on his blade when he was finished. "Damn…...disgusting" he muttered beneath his breath. Sasuke soon took notice of the raider he had just cut his arm off. "Get lost, coward. You're not worth my time" the raven-haired man tried to make him go away.

Despite the serious condition he was in, the raider was only more infuriated when seeing how Sasuke simply dismissed him as a weakling. It only made it tempting for him to continue fighting.

"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU, PIECE OF…." Before the raider could even continue, he felt something pierce through him. It was Sasuke, having used his Chidori Laser Spear to pierce him. Feeling this made the raider fall onto the deck.

Sasuke only glanced down at the raider with a displeased tone in his voice. "Hmmm….pathetic" he muttered under his breath from seeing this.

"Why did you kill them?" Sasuke was interrupted by the voice of Ino, as she now stood behind him folding her arms. The blonde-haired woman was glancing at him with dispassion in her eyes. "They are nothing but worthless crooks, but that doesn't mean you need to kill them!" the blondie sternly told him.

Hearing this only made Sasuke narrow his eyes at her. "These men are someone who does not resort to negotiations, Ino! They want to kill us all! Do you really think it's…." Sasuke's questioning was interrupted when he saw Ino suddenly throw a kunai that went past his head. The young Uchiha was outraged to begin with, yet he could hear someone yell in pain behind him.

Turning around, he saw a raider who was holding some explosives in his hands, yet he now let go of them thanks to the kunai Ino threw. It was now stuck on the raider's right shoulder. This distraction made it possible for Ino to charge at him, kicking his face which knocked him out till he fell into unconsciousness

The blonde-haired woman soon returned her focus on Sasuke, her sapphire eyes narrowing at him. "We may have different methods. But when dealing with common thugs like these, killing is unnecessary" Ino told him.

Sasuke was growing irritated over being lectured by someone far less powerful than her. "Why don't you mind your own damn business!?" he told her before taking notice of another raider charging towards him. Sasuke was prepared to draw out his blade, only for Ino to throw a kunai at the raider on his left shoulder. The blondie then proceeded to make her move to knock out the raider. Sasuke was infuriated, yet Ino was bravely gazing into his crimson eyes.

"I'm only telling you this as an advice…..or as a matter of fact, I'm trying to help you with not becoming the sociopath you once were" Ino then told him sternly before moving away, eventually joining her fellow members of the Interrogation Squad and helping them.

Sasuke only scowled while seeing Ino. Was she being too judgmental on him, like everyone else in the Shadow Squad? Nevertheless, the raven-haired man felt like Ino's explanation was useless to him. Brushing it off, he decided to focus on the raiders rather than the woman who had always been known to have a crush on him.

So far, the battle against the raiders when smoothly, and most shinobis of the Triple Entente were holding their own against the raiders. Among them was Suigetsu and his partners, having had to deal with packs of raiders, only for Suigestu to take pleasure in this by swinging his blade, thus cutting most of his enemies.

"Fuck yeah! This is the shit!" Suigetsu exclaimed happily as he slashed his enemies, which was usually typical of someone like him. He then glanced at a couple of raiders. "Come at me, you pussies! I'll send you straight to hell and give you a chance on fleeing from this world as it goes under!" the young man then taunted the raiders.

This managed to intimidate them, and the raiders quickly ran away in fear, causing Suigetsu to grin cheekily. He was having fun in this, something which made his partners worried.

"Suigetsu, remember what we've been told. We are not to take pleasure when engaged in activities like this. After all, we're taking the lives of these people" Juugo reminded him in a calm manner. The orange-haired man could see a raider with a kunai charge at him. Yet he was out of commission once Juugo KO'd him with a powerful headbutt. He also made work of another one with only hand-to-hand combat.

Suigetsu simply scoffed at his partner. "You're being way too pacifistic, Juugo. These guys are someone who wants to take our lives. This is the shinobi world, so deal with it!" he berated the tall and gentle man.

"But you have bloodlust issues, Suigetsu! When you have something like that, then you need to control yourself!" Karin suddenly rebuked Suigetsu's attitude, yet he simply chose to ignore her words.

"Quit yapping and help me deal with these bastards! And you Karin, stop hiding behind me!" Suigetsu then snapped at her, as the redhead had indeed been hiding behind Suigetsu ever since the raiders started boarding the fishing vessel. He even moved aside, thus leaving Karin exposable for the raiders.

But not everyone was capable of holding their own against these raiders. Among them was Komaza, a repulsive and hotheaded member of the Grim Guard. But now that they were in fight, he was suddenly beginning to act like a coward. As such, he was now hiding underneath one of the stairs on the fishing vessel's deck. He turned his head and watched as blood and guts were spilled on the deck. Seeing this kind of violence not only made Komaza scared, it also made him sick to his stomach. As a matter of fact, he was on the verge of throwing up.

"Shit…I think I'm gonna throw up and…" Komaza said while his cheeks bloated. But despite this, the young man did not throw up and he managed to compose himself.

But Komaza was in for a surprise when he saw someone standing before him. At first, he thought it was one of the raiders, but he was wrong. Standing before him was Yutaka, the young woman folding her arms while glancing at him with dispassion.

"Is this what you do to your comrades?" Yutaka asked him. "I wonder if whether you're gone or not, only to find you hiding here! Our brothers and sisters of the Sand are risking their lives, while you hide here like a coward!" she then expressed her open distaste about seeing Komaza's behavior.

"Look! I'm not much of a fighter, okay!? I only….AARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Komaza yelled as Yutaka did the unthinkable to him: delivering a hard kick…...on his nuts. It made the brown-haired man whimper in pain, and tears fell from his eyes. "What….the fuck…" he whined while holding onto his crotch. Never had he expected someone as dimwitted as Yutaka to do this to anyone.

"I did it to as a punishment for you making excuses for not stepping out to help us. You should be grateful to this wonderful opportunity the Kazekage has given you! He did that because he saw potentially in you! And now you wanna turn back on the oath you swore to him!?" Yutaka explained to him while Komaza still felt agony on his crotch-area. "I'm not gonna let that slide by, especially from someone who's just a nobody! But as Lord Gaara himself said, even a nobody can achieve something great! So get off your ass and help us in this fight!" she then strictly commanded him before moving out.

As Yutaka left him, Komaza could only be stunned to see what kind of woman she really was. Now, he had been given an entirely different impression on him. Never had he expected her to be this strict towards subordinates in the Grim Guard. And he, who had previously underrated her as unfit to become a second-in-command. That, and being reminded about how much of a failure he was, made Komaza run back into the fight.

Nejiri smiled when seeing his cousin getting back into the fight. "So, you finally decided to join in the fight?" he asked Komaza, who was still holding onto his crotch-area with one hand.

"J-just shut up, Nejiri!" Komaza said while drawing a kunai with his free hand. But the young man suddenly noticed something on the left side of the fishing vessel. "H-hey! What's that!?" he then asked them while pointing a finger out to something appearing behind the thick fog.

His fellow members of the Grim Guard looked at where he was pointing a finger, and their eyes widened in shock from what they were seeing. "Holy shit…..it's a….." Ittatsu spoke up.

"A RAMMING SHIP!" Sari yelled out as everyone else fighting the raiders could notice a giant ship with a ram on its front heading towards the fishing vessel. It was coming in fast speed and never stopped.

The moment the ramming ship hit the fishing vessel, it left a terrible aftereffect, which made everyone onboard the fishing vessel fall onto the deck. Shinobis and raiders alike were forced on the deck as the taller ship rammed into the fishing vessel. The fishing vessel itself was pushed against the other ship nearby and it suffered tremendous damages on its' left side thanks to the ramming.

"Shit! I never expected them to use naval ramming in this fog!" Ibiki said as he got up on his feet.

"That's what they do! This thick fog is perfect cover for the raiders to use naval ramming on their targets! They may have sent it to attack us now that they know we aren't a crew of fishermen" Shachi remarked, he also getting up to his feet. The man with the metallic mas quickly checked on the damages thanks to the ramming ship.

"Commander! There's serious damages on the left side! We're sinking!" Hyozan called out to his superior.

"What!? Damn them!" Shachi cursed, his metallic mask hollowing his angry voice. "Then we have to evacuate, now!" he then gave the order.

While they were trying to convince the shinobis of ceasing whatever atcivities they were doing, Baki took notice of the ramming ship. "Something doesn't make sense here!" Baki told his cohorts when seeing the ramming ship suddenly pulling itself away from the sinking fishing vessel. "Why did it move away!?" he then asked from what he was seeing.

"It's not just that!" Yugao said while noticing the burning irons belonging to the harpoon cannons on the other ship suddenly being pulled off. This made the other ship also move away from the sinking fishing vessel. "They're sailing away, not caring about the raiders they leave behind!" the purple-haired woman noted.

Yes, something was indeed odd, as there were still throngs of raiders onboard the sinking fishing vessel, yet the ships were now moving away. Were the raiders simply left to drown? As battles were kept being waged onboard, the shinobis soon discovered something catastrophic happening before them. The thick fog had begun to clear, yet they were now treated to something so scary that one would never dare to set sail again.

"TSUNAAAAAAAMIIIIIIIIIIII!" Asami yelled out as she and many other shinobis were treated to this terrible experience. "A TSUNAMI HEADING STRAIGHT TOWARDS US!" the teal-haired woman added to her shock.

Right before the sinking fishing vessel was a giant tsunami appearing right before it. The enormous wave came so fast that it was impossible for those on the fishing vessel to estimate how much time they had left to evacuate. For the ninjas of the Mist Village, this was no ordinary tsunami they were accustomed to. This one was gigantic, being almost as tall as a mountain. If that wave were to ever hit a mountain, it would take everything, including its peak.

Sasuke could have been able to do something about this tsunami, if only given enough time. Due to the tsunami arriving before the fishing vessel so fast, it was too late for him. The same could be said for the other shinobis who were powerful enough to cut a tsunami in half. At this rate, everyone was going to be swallowed by it, even the raiders who had been left behind. It was obvious these men were to be sacrificed for the greater good.

The fishing vessel was brought up, until he got crashed into the wall of seas. But while most onboard were to shocked and scared to even make a move and allow the wave to take them. Some shinobis bravely jumped off the fishing vessel hoping to avoid getting hit by diving underneath it. But despite their best attempts to do so, it was inevitable. As soon as the tsunami hit them, all those shinobis underneath it was pushed deeper into the ocean. It was so powerful that many either drowned or loosed focus

For now, this is what became of the Triple Entente. But even after being taken by a tsunami, would that stop them from fulfilling their mission? The answer to that remained to be seen. But all the raiders onboard the ships celebrated as they watched what had become of their supposed target. Somehow, they had been able to avoid the tsunami. Or was it perhaps that the tsunami was specifically targeting the fishing vessel and not them?

These were the questions that filled Sasuke's mind, as he was drifting into the ocean. As much as he wanted to open his eyes to continue on swimming, Sasuke felt his eyes closing in by the minute, his mind drifting into sleep amidst this storm.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Authors' note: This chapter told us more about Naruto and his gang, inclduign on how they reached the Moon. In the meantime, we got back to see how Sasuke and the Triple Entente were doing. And yeah, I planned to make their mission more dramatic by launching this tsunami upon them. But will they survive? And will they be able to complete their mission? The same thing can be said for Naruto and his gang. In the next chapter, I will tell you more about Naruto and his gang on their exploration of the Moon, as well as Sasuke and his quest. But I also want to include Tsuande and Kakashi in the next chapter, as they are the ones coordinating things back in the Leaf Village. Stay tuned.**


	17. Lost and Forgotten

**Author's note: For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 17: Lost and Forgotten**

 _In the dense forests on the Moon_

Ever since the Moon Expedition had reached their destination, they had been filled with wonders over how different the Moon was to their expectations. Like the Earth, it had its own Sun, and even spectacular nature that resembled that found on Earth. However, something still felt odd about this place, especially when it came to the enormous amount of Chakra that could be felt in the air, as well as in the waters. But soon, the Moon Expedition was in for another surprise as they ventured further into the dense forests.

What surprised them was the discovery of an abandoned town. It was built on a hill in the forests. The material that was used to build these homes seemed to be sandstone blocks and mud bricks. Whatever they were built with, the architecture fascinated the Moon Expedition as they stumbled upon it.

They entered the town, wandering through the narrow streets that existed in the town. But so far, they hadn't found a single soul living in the town. The fact that they were alone, only convinced the Moon Expidition that this was a ghost town.

"Now this is unexpected" Naruto remarked as he checked into an empty building by looking through the doorway. "Who would've thought that there existed a civilization on the Moon. But the big question is, what happened here?" he then wondered while his friends were also looking around.

"I don't know what happened here. Was there a war taking place in this town?" Lee wondered as he began watching a crack on one of the buildings. "This crack here does seem to prove something, at least" he then suggested.

Tenten stood beside him to assess the crack on the building. "A war, you say? What if there could be an earthquake….or something else…." Tenten said, though she sounded confused when suggesting this. "The only reason I say this is because some of these buildings have nothing but piles of boulder inside them. But then again, I don't think the Moon had earthquakes at all" she told her friends.

"An earthquake on the Moon? Sorry, but that assumption sounds flawed, just saying" Kiba told her, him and Kiba already doing their own "research" of this abandoned town. The young clansman of the Inuzuka clan could see that his canine partner was picking up a scent, sniffing on the ground and following it to an opened doorway. "Whoa, easy there, Akamaru" the young man told Akamaru as he followed him.

"But if this town is really a ghost town, then it's safe to say that Toneri is not hiding here. But let's check if we can find something that links up to him" Sakura suggested to her friends.

Shino had to smile as he heard her saying this. "Well said, Sakura. It sounds like a good idea" he noted while fixing his attention on Naruto. "I can use my insects to search through each of these buildings. With them, we'll be having better knowledge of this place in no time" Shino told him.

"Then send them right away. If no one's here, we might as well be camping here for the night" Naruto then told Shino, who responded by letting his bugs crawl out of his sleeves and onto the ground. They then proceeded to spread around in different groups. Naruto looked up to the sun, noticing that it was starting to go down. "Hmm….so even the Moon has the same functioning as the Earth. But I think the nights here tend to be moonless" Naruto thought.

The group was soon approached by the three jounins who bore the communication devices: Genma Shiranui, Aoshi Yamashiro and Raido Namiashi. From what Naruto and the others could tell, they seemed to be in a hurry.

"Captain Naruto. You need to come with us" Aoshi told him, which slightly surprised the blonde-haired man. "Shikamaru has discovered something horrific. He insisted that we all come and see what he had found" he added while giving Naruto a reason for being in a hurry.

"I see. You all heard him. Let's see if Shikamaru has found something interesting. I know Chouji is already with him as we speak" Naruto then told his friends, who followed him and the three jounins.

Naruto and company found themselves outside a tall building, which seemed to have two floors. While noticing how dark it was inside, they could see Shikamaru standing inside while holding a torch in his right hand. The expression on his face, however, was that of shock and terror. It made Naruto wonder why he was feeling that way.

"Hey Shikamaru, Chouji, what's there to be afraid of…" Naruto immediately paused as he could see what his friends were glancing at. His blue eyes widened in shock from seeing this.

"What's all the fuzz abo….HOLY FUCKING ASSCRACKERS!" Kiba exclaimed loudly in disbelief. "W-WHAT IS…" he was not sure on how to even say it.

"My god…." Sakura noted lowly. "Is this supposed to part of the building's interior!?" she then asked in disgust.

The members of the Moon Expedition were currently standing before something so atrocious to their eyes. It was a wall, but not just any ordinary wall. It was a wall of skulls and bones. The wall had so many lines of skeletal heads in one place.

"I happened to stumble upon this building as we wandered through the town's first street. It was slightly taller than the other buildings in the area, so we thought about checking out what it really was. However, we DID NOT expect to see this!" Shikamaru told his friends as they listened.

"What is this anyway? Is this supposed to be their kind of graveyard or something?" Chouji wondered how something like this could even exist. "But then again, this is way too foreign to be a graveyard. Is this building a mausoleum, perhaps?" he then asked those around him.

"That's a good question there, Chouji. But I honestly doubt that this building is in any way a mausoleum. I mean, look at all these bones…..it's as if the villagers who lived here were simply executed and their remains were used as…..decoration" Lee told everyone what he thought about this….."wall".

As they were all horrified of what they were seeing, Naruto couldn't help but to notice something on the wall next to the skulls thanks to the light from Shikamaru's torch. From what he could see, it was small painting written on the wall.

"Hey Shikamaru. Give us some light here. This wall also seems to have something. And at least it's not skulls and bones" Naruto told him and Shikamaru did as he requested.

From what the group of shinobis could tell, this wall was filled with paintings. It was almost like a big picture. On the wall, there was two groups, in what seemed to be like two armies. Yet above those two armies, the symbol of the Otsutsuki clan could be seen.

"I may not be an export on arts like Sai is, but this painting tells us about a conflict…a war between two sides….from the same clan" Sakura tried to figure out what the figures were trying to tell them.

"Yeah…...it does. And if you look up, you can see three imposing figures above those two armies" Naruto then told his friend. They all looked up as he said, and were surprised of what they saw. "We all know who those three figures are. The woman in the middle is Kaguya Otsutsuki: the Mother of All Shinobis. And that two underneath her are her sons. The one on the right is someone we all know. That's the Sage of the Six Paths: Hagoromo Otsutsuki. And the one on the left is his fraternal twin brother: Hamura Otsutsuki" the blonde-haired man then told them, having matured enough to know the story about the ancestors of the shinobis.

"We all know that. These two were legends" Lee mused when hearing this. The man with the thick eyebrows soon took notice of two globe-like drawings beside Hagoromo and Hamura. "Hey, do you guys see those two globes. The one beside Hagoromo awfully looks like the Earth…..but the other globe is…" Lee was interrupted when Tenten spoke up.

"That's the Moon" Tenten uttered out the answer. She soon returned her focus on the figures depicting two armies facing each other. "But what are these armies supposed to symbolize? What also is curious to see is that the ground they are all standing on…..it's pale white" the brunette then pointed out while glancing at where most of the wall had been painted white.

"I think I'm beginning to see what this painting is trying to tell us" Shikamaru spoke up as he moved closer to the drawing, studying the figures one by one. "We all know that there was civilization on the Earth. But there was also one on the Moon as well. This drawing tells us about the civilization the Otsutsuki clan created on the Moon" he then explained what he had found out.

Naruto had to nod his head in reply. "You're right, Shikamaru. And from what those two armies can tell us, they represent something. They are both of the Otsutsuki clan, yet they're different factions. I don't know what you guys think, but it's safe to say that the Otsutsuki clan was also divided into two main groups: the Main Family and the Branch Family" he then told everyone.

Naruto's friends were stunned to hear this, including those who came from the Leaf Village's prominent clans. "You mean like how the Hyuuga clan used to operate?" Shino asked Naruto lowly. He simply glanced at him, which forced Shino to take him for an answer. "We all remember how the Hyuuga clan used to be before its two sides reconciliated. There was conflict between the Main Family, in which Hinata and Hanabi were born into and the Branch Family, in which Neji was born into. Perhaps it was the same problem here" the man with sunglasses then explained what he was trying to come up with.

"Shino may have a point" Kiba spoke up. "But then again, we don't know what really happened here, do we?" he added.

"But since we saw all these…skulls…...it's obvious that those two sides must've fought each other until they died. To me, that explains the bones and skulls. They've been ripped out of the corpses belonging to the Otsutsuki-fighters" Chouji told everyone what he thought could've happened.

Everyone took their time to think of what Chouji just said. Some of them believed that he could perhaps be right with what he was saying. But then again, they had yet to know more about who Toneri Otsutsuki really was. Was he born into the Branch Family or the Main Family? None of them possessed more knowledge about him, other than the fact that he was the direct descendant of Hamura Otsutsuki.

"There are many questions that we want answered. But some of them will have to wait" Naruto told everyone as he glanced out of the doorway, seeing as the Sun went down. "The evening will soon arrive. But before we call it a quits, we may as well search for a place we can rest in. This abandoned town is the perfect place for us. But tomorrow, we really need to find a way up to that floating landmass. We gotta stop Toneri as well as save Hinata and her family" the blonde-haired man added to his explanation.

Shikamaru smiled smugly when hearing this. "We hear ya. Will we split into smaller teams to look search through the town?" he asked Naruto.

"Yeah, the more we are, then the faster the search goes" Naruto told Shikamaru before glancing at Tenten and Lee. "Bushy Brows, you go with Tenten" he told the couple.

Lee gave him a thumb gesture in return. "You got it, Naruto. Me and Tenten will do our best!" he assured him.

"Chouji, you go with Shino" Naruto told the chubby man.

Chouji smiled and glanced over to Shino, who weakly nodded his head in approval. "We'll do that" he replied to Naruto.

"Shikamaru, you stay with Kiba and Akamaru. Is that okay?" Naruto asked his second-in-command.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes in return. "Yeah, it wouldn't hurt if we did that, I guess. Eh, Kiba?" he asked Kiba, who was folding his arms while leaning against the wall facing the floor.

"Whatever" Kiba responded while shrugging his shoulders. He eventually stopped leaning and stood up right, with Akamaru tagging along.

"Raido, Aoshi and Genma, you three will stay together" Naruto told the communication units who all agreed to his suggestion. "And whenever something happens, just let me or Shikamaru know" he assured those three. Naruto glanced over to Sakura, who raised an eyebrow as he felt him glance at her. "Sakura…...you're with me" Naruto said to her.

Hearing this made Sakura giggle. "Come on, Naruto. You know that I'm strong enough to protect myself" she then told him in a teasing manner, which only made Naruto snap in embarrassment in return. The pinkette took pleasure in fooling her boyfriend, yet she knew that there were more pressing matters to focus on. "Just kidding. I'll go with you, Naruto" Sakura insisted to him.

And so, each of these smaller groups went their separate ways, hoping to find more clues from this ghost town. Hopefully, they would also be able to find a way to reach to the floating landmass and discover the whereabouts of Toneri's palace. Time was precious, and the Moon Expedition could not afford to waste it. The fate of the Earth depended in them.

Naruto and Sakura were now searching through one of the abandoned buildings. So far, they didn't stumble upon anything that was worth of interest. But at the very least, they were now alone for a while. Sakura thought it was a wonderful opportunity to have a one-on-one talk with each other. The pinkette felt like she needed it, especially with what had happened on their journey so far.

"Naruto…...can we talk?" Sakura asked her boyfriend, noticing him studying some of the old pots in the home.

Naruto turned around and smiled at Sakura. "Sure, Sakura. Is there anything on your mind?" he asked her.

"As a matter of fact, there is" Sakura told him, getting more personal as they were beginning this conversation. "What you told Kiba back in the caverns…you think it was a good idea?" she then asked him, which made Naruto furrow his eyebrows. "I'm not saying that I'm mad about you mentioning your brief relationship with Hinata….but I'm more concerned with Kiba…..and how that will affect his relationship with her" Sakura then said to him.

The blonde-haired man sighed deeply before replying to Sakura. "Look, Sakura. I told Kiba that to make him to grow up and stop acting so condescending towards me. I felt that he needed to hear it. Believe me, I'm happy that Hinata and Kiba found the tone in each other and I'm willing to support both of them. But sometimes, I worry his stubborn attitude gets carried away, which makes Kiba lose focus" Naruto gave Sakura a full answer for what he did. The blonde-haired man was soon forming a slight smile as he faced his girlfriend. "Sakura, it was Hinata who insisted that I follow what my heart desired. And that was in achieving real love from you. We both know how real love is stronger than fake love. Hinata also believed in that. She and I used to believe that we cared for each other. But in the end, we only ended up wanting to stay as close friends. Nothing more. That is why…Hinata is probably one of my most valued friends…alongside Sasuke" he then began telling this to Sakura.

Sakura had to giggle as she heard this. "I suppose you two learned much from each other. I like that" she remarked before facing Naruto with her emerald eyes. "Truth is, I also learned something about real love and fake love. And the one who taught me that was NOT Ino. But it was Sasuke. While I had been having enamored feelings towards him for many years, I soon began to let it go, thanks to Sasuke encouraging me. He also told me to follow what my heart desired. One shouldn't be blinded by love that people feel as children. As I began to mature, I realized who it really was that I had grown closer with…you" Sakura admitted as her face neared Naruto's.

Naruto put his hands on Sakura's shoulders, gazing into Sakura's emerald eyes. Sakura responded by holding onto Naruto's arms. They were on the verge of kissing.

"We all make mistakes, Sakura. I do, you do, Sasuke does, Hinata does, Kiba does, Kakashi-sensei does and even Grandma Tsunade does. But that doesn't make us fools for the rest of our lives. We learn to cope with them as adults. Such is also what defines us as shinobis" Naruto then told Sakura before planting his lips onto Sakura's. While stunned at first, Sakura quickly returned it with a kiss of her own. The couple embraced in this passionate kiss, undisturbed by their teammates.

Shikamaru and Kiba were finding themselves getting tired as they searched through what appeared to be a tunnel underneath the town. Like the buildings above them, it was also abandoned. Kiba was sitting against a wall with Akamaru lying beside him. Shikamaru was sitting just across him, holding a cigarette in his mouth.

"Tch, what a drag. I really feel like we've been travelling all day" Shikamaru noted while resting his hands behind his neck.

Kiba and Akamaru were slightly annoyed because of Shikamaru smoking. "Hey Shikamaru. Is it really necessary for you to be smoking underground where there's no air?" the brown-haired man asked him.

"Alright. You know don't have to be a jerk about it" Shikamaru told him while stumping his cigarette. As he did that, the man with the ponytail could still see Kiba acting very moody. "Are you still moody about what Naruto told you in the cavern? Just get over it, Kiba" he then told the young Inuzuka.

This made Kiba fix his feral eyes upon Shikamaru. "Oh, shut up, lazy-ass. If there's one thing I don't need is you helping me remind something" he said as he was gradually starting to get sleepier by the seconds. "All that I need…...is some rest…tomorrow I will…" Kiba slowly drifted into sleeping and it surprised his friend.

"Well, I guess he really needs a nap" Shikamaru said before reaching for something in his pockets. Picking it up, he was now watching a picture of him and Temari standing close to one another. It was taken during one of Shikamaru's many trips to the Sand Village. He smiled as he could see how happy they were on this picture. "Ah, I miss you already, Temari. I'm sorry that I didn't write you a letter or called you to let me know of me leaving the Earth. But I suppose you'll know why I left soon enough. But hopefully, we can go back to dating once I'm finished on the Moon…..…..assuming I survive the mission, that his" Shikamaru noted sarcastically.

However, Shikamaru really hoped that he would return home safe and sound. He knew that his comrades in the Moon Expedition also hoped on doing that as well. But he big question was how it would end? Would this crisis end with so many civilian casualties like the world war? Shikamaru hoped not.

Unbeknownst to the Moon Expedition, they had been watched all along as they had explored the dense forests of the Moon. They had also been watched as they entered the abandoned town. Hiding among the bushes, there were small Chakra-empowered wisps that functioned as hidden cameras throughout the Moon. The only one who could have use for such to watch over things in the area, was none other than Toneri Otsutsuki himself.

* * *

 _Inside Toneri Otsutsuki's palace, high above the Moon_

So far, the sole heir to the Otsutsuki clan's Branch Family had been sitting by himself in front of a fireplace. It was in Toneri's personal quarters. In that room, he had so many books where he could simply pick one and then read them. That is why this room was usually quiet, as Toneri preferred that while taking his time to read in peace.

But as he was reading, two of Toneri's black-garbed puppets entered his room, appearing right beside their young liege. They had come to inform Toneri of what they had spotted, or perhaps more specifically what the Chakra-empowered wisps had spotted.

"I see. So, they made it to the Moon. Then that means they also managed to defeat the Gatekeeper. These shinobis are more resilient than what I first expected" Toneri admitted to himself after hearing the report his puppets gave him. "But no matter, they still have a long way to go before they will accomplish anything. My powers are unrivaled. None of them will interfere with my marriage. I will personally see to that happening" the white-haired man said, his azure eyes narrowing further.

Even though Toneri had perhaps underestimated Naruto and his friends, he still thought of them as nothing but weaklings. Yes, having now achieved the Tenseigan, Toneri was certain to accomplish his goals. He would honor the wish his ancestor had presumably desired to be fulfilled. The young man found himself gazing out towards the floating temple in the distance. It was there were the Shrine of Hamura was located at. Toneri was soon reminded about his promise to Hinata. He had promised her to show her the Shrine of Hamura once. But that would have to wait. First, he had wanted them to have dinner together, considering his desire to get closer and more acquainted with the stunning bluenette. That would be the first step towards their marriage.

"AAARRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Toneri suddenly yelled in agony as something hurt inside his head. The pale-skinned man pulled his hair while still feeling something infiltrating him. "DAMN IT…GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he then angrily yelled to whoever it was.

A deep chuckle could be heard inside Toneri's head and this person took pleasure in seeing the young man in pain. Hearing this only infuriated Toneri, yet he was losing himself to these whisperings inside his head. The madness forced Toneri down to his knees.

"You must not fail your ancestor. You must not fail him" the deep voice could be heard inside Toneri's mind. He was still yelling in agony. "All in due time, you will succeed in honoring your ancestors and be given anything you desire. Your godhood shall be celebrated across the cosmos. Life on the Moon will flourish once again" the voice continued before it finally stopped whispering.

Toneri stopped and he panted deeply once he realized that the pain was over. Over the last years, he had been plagued by these whisperings in his head. He knew it was from his deceased ancestors, who had demanded that he fulfill Hamura's last wish in destroying the Sage's world. The longer these whisperings kept tormenting his mind, the more embittered and miserable Toneri became.

Slowly getting up to his feet, Toneri found the inner peace in himself once again. His servants had so far only stood and watched, awaiting their orders. It didn't take long before their master had enough breath to speak.

"Tell the cooks to prepare the dinner. And make sure the table is decorated. Me and Hinata will be having dinner, together" Toneri told them and the puppets quickly vanished without hesitation. With that done, he then proceeded to make his move towards Hinata's quarters in the palace, telling her to come out and eat with him. But there were other motives for Toneri to have Hinata eat with him. He wanted to make sure that she was not still having feelings for Kiba, still recalling what he had heard through his puppet in the dimension. "Hinata must be cleansed of that simpleton's influence. Either she does this on her own free will…or I will personally do it myself. My future bride must be purified of filth before she can carry my offspring" he then noted deviously in his head, even forming a smirk in the process. This man was really intending on getting close to Hinata. But what would happen if he ever found out about the fact that Hinata and Kiba was having an intimate relationship. That would certainly infuriate him, but not only that. Hinata would then be deemed as too impure to be his wife…...which would only lead to Hinata being killed.

While dinner was being prepared in the palace's kitchen, Hinata Hyuuga was inside her personal space that had been given to her by Toneri. Yet despite its comfort, it didn't bring Hinata as such. The door was locked and she could only come outside when Toneri said so. Therefore, Hinata felt like she was being held prisoner in the palace. In truth, considering that her family and clan were also captured along with her, she also felt like being held hostage by Toneri. If she made one wrong move, there would be consequences. Hinata feared that Toneri would murder one of her fellow Hyuugas as punishment, especially her father or her younger sister.

"I must try to remain strong…." Hinata told herself while sitting on the queen-sized bed. "I must play along with his game…for my family's survival…and the Earth's survival" she added to her explanation.

A knock came on the door and Hinata quickly turned her attention to who it was. The door soon opened and standing in the doorway was Toneri, the azure-eyed man smiling as he was given a glimpse of his future bride sitting on the bed.

"Hinata. I am glad to see you staying in the room as I requested of you. You have started to fulfill my expectations" Toneri told her as Hinata stood on her feet. Unlike Toneri, Hinata was not smiling. The stunning bluenette was glancing at him with a deep frown, her eyes having no signs of happiness. Despite this, Toneri continued smiling. "Anyway, the reason I have come here, is because I invite you to eat dinner with me. I believe you still remember how I wanted for us to get better acquainted with one another. This is the reason for us spending time together over dinner" he then told her.

Hinata was slightly surprised when she heard what Toneri just did. He was now inviting her to eat dinner with him. So many thoughts swirled inside her head, yet Hinata knew she needed to tread carefully. Right now, she was at Toneri's mercy. Any wrongful move would only have an effect on her family. So without delay, Hinata weakly nodded her head at him. She even tried to put on a smile in order to make Toneri put confidence in her.

"I….I would be h-honored to have dinner with you, Toneri" Hinata spoke up, even though her smile was in reality fake.

Nevertheless, Toneri seemed to take her seriously, starting to feel that he was now holding sway over Hinata. "Splendid. Then follow me to the dining room, my love. I ordered my servants to begin cooking before I came here. They should be finish with the food soon" Toneri told her before turning around to leave.

Hinata quickly walked up behind him, starting to realize that she had two puppet bodyguards following her. They had been hiding in the corridor, waiting for Hinata to walk in. Now, she was completely surrounded, having no chance of fleeing from Toneri. Hinata had no choice but to participate on this dinner, in hopes of not putting her family in danger.

In the dining room, the table was long and it was finely decorated with candlelight, plates, cutlery, napkins and wine glasses. Hinata could even notice a large window beside the table. It gave her a perfect view of the floating islands near Toneri's palace. It was intriguing for her to watch. But Hinata could also see that the dining room was more than just expensive decorations. Moving her bright eyes, Hinata could see that all the entrances to the dining room were guarded by Toneri's puppets. They only stood by them completely motionless. Hinata felt a feeling in her gut, and it told her that she did not feel safe.

"Do you find the dining room interesting?" Hinata was interrupted in her observations when Toneri asked her. His azure eyes were fixated upon her, as if she was watching her every move. Being stared at like this made Hinata sweat a little.

"Y-yeah! It's wonderful!" Hinata come up with an answer while looking around. "I've never had dinner in a place such as this…so it's completely new to me" she then added, trying to make Toneri impressed.

Hearing this made Toneri smile at her in return. "How amusing you are sometimes, Hinata. If this impresses you, then you will be more impressed by what we will eat" he told her, much to Hinata's curiosity.

The table was soon approached by the many puppet servants of Toneri. These ones, however, looked like small maids. They began putting the food on the table, as well as pouring drinks to Toneri and Hinata. But Hinata was stunned to see what type of food they were serving. Not only was it salad, but also her favorite food: zenzai and cinnamon rolls. Why they served those dishes surprised Hinata. She was beginning to feel a little happy on the inside. Eating her favorite food would be the only thing positive about this dinner.

As they were eating, Hinata felt comfortable for a while. But that was until she heard Toneri speak. "I hope you find the food tasty" he said to her, which Hinata responded by nodding her head at him gently. "Good. Because think of this, Hinata. Once we have become husband and wife, imagine all the riches you will have the benefit of using. Our marriage will herald a new era on the Moon. As soon as the Sage's world is gone, it will be our duty to rebuild it" Toneri explained.

Being reminded about the Earth getting destroyed quickly made Hinata think about the words the spirit of Hamura Otsutsuki had told him. Furthermore, Hinata felt that she could not be silent as this man was talking about the destruction of the Earth. So she mustered the courage to speak.

"Excuse me, Toneri. But it appears that we got off the wrong foot here" Hinata spoke up, trying her best to sound gentle as possible. Toneri gazed upon her, his eyes demanding a clarification. "Think of it this way. Wouldn't it be madness to destroy an entire world where there are people living, only because of something that happened in the past? I mean, think of all the innocent people that lives on the Earth, and the children who deserves to have a future. Don't you think that such action is very unnecessary?" the bluenette asked him.

As he listened to her question, a deep frown could be seen on Toneri's face. This, coupled with his azure eyes narrowing, only indicated that Toneri did not like Hinata asking him that. The young bluenette could also see it herself.

"Just what kind of nonsense are you implying, Hinata? Humanity weaponized Chakra, thus causing chaos and misery to everything on the Earth. You honestly expect me to simply let such actions go unnoticed? No, humanity must pay for their sins. They are a virus to be destroyed" Toneri gave Hinata his answer, his tone hinting to no regret for what he just said. It sounded cold and indirectly malicious.

The stunning heiress of the Hyuuga clan couldn't believe her ears. Deep down inside, she was also infuriated to hear the tone in Toneri's voice. It sounded as if he had complete disregard for lives.

"But why must the innocent humans suffer this tragedy that their ancestors caused?" Hinata suddenly asked Toneri once again, this time raising her voice a little. "What happened eons ago was tragic and regrettable. But that's all in the past. The world of the shinobis has changed since the Fourth Shinobi World War ended. All the Five Great Nations now work to bring peace and harmony on Earth" the bluenette insisted to him.

Toneri suddenly slammed his fork on his steak, trying to make Hinata see how impatient he was slowly growing. "Whether humans are innocent or not has no relevance to their punishment. Since the Moon was created, it had been the Otsutsuki clan's responsibility to destroy the Sage's world if it's inhabitants were misusing the gift of the Chakra. Such was the will of my ancestor: Hamura Otsutsuki. His will shall be done!" the pale-skinned man told her sternly.

"So does that mean the children must also perish? Why? They had nothing to do with weaponizing….." Hinata was soon interrupted when Toneri raised his voice against her.

"Hold your tongue, Hinata!" Toneri said firmly, this shattering Hinata's resolve. "Remember our bargain. I would spare you and your family, as long as you followed my commands. If you are to become my wife, you need to respect and obey me! Question me or speak against me one more time…and your father and sister will suffer the consequences" the white-haired man now began threatening Hinata and her family, reminding her about who it was that held her leash.

The Hyuuga-heiress was filled with despair on the inside as she heard those words. It also made her think about Hiashi and Hanabi, whom had both lost their eyes thanks to Toneri. Now that they were blind, there was no telling what Toneri would do to them as punishment for Hinata speaking out against him. Sighing in defeat, Hinata lowered her head in shame.

"Yes…I apologize" she said lowly, hoping to make Toneri realize that she regretted her actions, even though it was fake.

Hearing her apology, Toneri forced a smile. There was no question about him having full dominion over Hinata. But his head was still haunted by the words he had heard from Kiba Inuzuka through his puppet. Was Hinata really hers? Did she still long for Kiba? And more importantly…was Hinata free from the "taint" he carried. By that, Toneri was wondering whether she was a virgin and never had any sexual contact with Kiba. That is what he now wanted to find out.

"Tell me something, Hinata. About your life back in the Leaf Village, is it true that you were having enamored feelings towards a certain man named Kiba Inuzuka?" Toneri questioned her, the tone in his voice hinting to demanding an answer.

Once again, Hinata felt her pulse beating faster. That's right, Toneri was a very observant man when it came to studying certain persons of interest. He had also started getting knowledge on some of her friends, including Naruto. But now, it was Kiba he was asking of. The young bluenette realized in the kind of position she was. Something inside her told her not to lie and simply spill it out. If she was caught lying, then it would definitely have consequences on her and the other Hyuugas.

Hinata nodded her head weakly at Toneri. "Y-yes. I was in love with K-Kiba once. And apparently, he had some feelings towards me in return" she answered.

Toneri's azure eyes narrowed further as he heard what Hinata told him. "Hmmm….I see. Then that means you two were a couple, I presume" he said, but he was not finished with Hinata. "However, there is something more that I need to know about this "relationship" between you and that Kiba. And remember what I've told you, Hinata. I despise when someone lies to me" Toneri informed her, thus sending chills in Hinata's spine.

Hinata did not open her mouth to speak. She remained seated, feeling her skin sweating intensively. Even so, she now needed to keep focused, as Toneri would indeed be asking a personal question to her now.

"Hinata. Be honest with me now. Are you a virgin? Have you never engaged in any kinds of intimate activity?" Toneri asked her.

This time, Hinata really felt fearful of how to respond to that question. So far, Toneri had never asked him about such things, until now. How would she answer him? She could not lie, but if she indeed told Toneri the truth about her and Kiba engaging in sexual activities, she would endanger both herself and her family. At this rate, Hinata found herself in a nightmarish dilemma. Gulping without letting Toneri see her do it, Hinata decided to answer his question.

"No…..I have never been engaged in any kinds of intimate activity…and yes…..I am a virgin" Hinata lied, although she was trying to disguise it as the truth. Hopefully she would at least fool him once.

Toneri listened, yet to Hinata's uttermost surprise, he smiled. His azure eyes even began softening. Hinata was relieved on the inside. It had worked! Her lying had managed to save herself and her family…for now. Still, Hinata needed to watch her back.

"Excellent! I am humbled. You have no idea how hearing this has lifted my spirits, Hinata. It will be a great step towards our marriage!" Toneri spoke up, his voice filled with so much satisfaction. "I can't wait to show you much of what will become ours. Tomorrow, you and I will be visiting the Shrine of Hamura, which is located on that floating island you see from the window" he then told her while glancing sideways.

Hinata did the same thing and she could see this floating island, which actually looked like a giant floating mountain. Her bright eyes widened in astonishment, as she had never seen something like that in her lifetime before. Hinata was now reminded about what the spirit of Hamura told her. It was there where they would meet again. But how they would meet again remained the question. Nevertheless, Hinata smiled.

"So that is the monument honoring Hamura Otsutsuki?" Hinata then asked Toneri.

"Yes, it also houses the graves of the previous leaders of the Otsutsuki clan's Branch Family. As my future bride, it would be an honor to ask their spirits for their blessings" Toneri answered Hinata's question. "But there is more than the Shrine of Hamura we will see at that island. On that island lies the Energy Vessel, also known to us in the Otsutsuki clan as the Tenseigan. It is a sacred treasure that is also one of the main instruments of creating life on the Moon" he then told her.

Hinata was filled with many thoughts as she heard the details Toneri gave her. The bluenette was now thinking about something she could no. She was perhaps a captive on the Moon. But maybe she could play a role in ending Toneri's machinations. But to do so, she would have to play along with him and not expose herself for any foolishness. Hinata hoped to be able to speak to the spirit of Hamura Otsutsuki once again. He had all the answers that Hinata needed to know. But at the same time, she also longed for her friends and hoped that some of them would come and rescue them…among them Kiba. But that would have to wait. It was time that Hinata did something to help her friends and not the other way around.

* * *

 _Back on Earth, inside the Hokage Tower, the Village Hidden in the Leaves_

While the Moon Expedition and the Shadow Squad were out to complete their missions, Tsunade had her hands full back in the Leaf Village at the moment. Ever the Moon had started to gradually fall down towards the Earth, the Fifth Hokage knew what she needed to do. She would have to call in a meeting between the Five Kages once again. But since all Kages could not leave their hidden villages and were required to stay in their offices, the only thing that was possible to communicate with them was through technological means.

"It's working, Lady Tsunade. We're speaking to all of them directly" Kakashi told the Hokage, as he along with several other aides and assistants stood beside her on the table. Others that were present included Kurenai, Shizune, Homura, Koharu and other leading politicians of the Leaf Village.

Everyone was in Tsunade's office, facing four screens. Each of the screens showed the Hokage the other Kages. There was the Fifth Kazekage: Gaara, the Fifth Mizukage: Mei Terumi, the Fourth Raikage: A and the Third Tsuchikage: Onoki. It had been a long time since all the Kages had a meeting like this. This was the case with the Raikage and the Tsuchikage, who had returned to their isolationist policies in the aftermath of the world war. But the threat of the Moon had drawn them out of isolation, as this crisis was something that affected the entire world.

"I take it all of you know why I called for this quick meeting" Tsunade started by speaking to all the Kages. "It's as our astronomers feared. The Moon is on the verge of crashing upon the Earth. The one in control of the Moon, is the last descendant of Hamura Otsutsuki." the blonde-haired woman told everyone.

"Yes, it is indeed terrible news for us. Who would've thought that someone would be capable of controlling the Moon?" Mei said through the screen. "Even now, we who live in the Land of Water can see how closer it gets to us by each second. It makes the population feel uncomfortable" the Mizukage spoke up.

"Then it is only fortunate that all of us have agreed to have this council. I fear this crisis will be just as dangerous as the world war" Gaara spoke up, feeling grateful to be able to speak to the Kages once again.

"I think we all must thank you for giving us these Armageddon Countdown Clocks, Tsunade" Onoki boasted proudly, his elderly voice hinting to the same cockiness he was known for. "With those, we should be able to assess what time we have before the Moon ends up crushing us all. But we must do something instead of just sitting in our homes doing nothing!" he then told his fellow Kages.

"My sentiments exactly!" A said, agreeing with Onoki's suggestion. "Our astronomers helped me discover the fact that this Moon is only a half of it. That alone means we'll have no problems with destroying it" the Raikage spoke up.

"What do you mean by that, Raikage?" Gaara asked his counterpart from the Cloud Village.

A was having a very determined look on his face and everyone could see on the screen how serious he was. "The only way to end this is to destroy the Moon before it reaches the Earth" the Raikage then said, much to the shock of his fellow Kages.

"Destroy the Moon?! How can you even consider that option!?" the Mizukage demanded an answer out of disbelief.

"It's either the Moon or us! There is no reason to be ignorant about this situation!" A pointed out boastfully.

The Tsuchikage couldn't help but so chuckle as he heard what his counterpart from the Cloud Village said. "And how exactly do you plan on destroying it? I mean, do your village have the means to destroy such?" he then asked A.

A simply grunted when being asked about it. "As a matter fact, we have. The Cloud Village is proud to have come up with its own specialized long-ranged weapons that can fire beams of Chakra: the Chakra Cannon. When the Moon reached our orbit, and meteors start falling upon it, we will then use these weapons to protect this world. We must also use them on the Moon" he then explained how the Cloud Village would be able to actually destroy the Moon.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly as she heard A's words. "That is NOT going to happen, A. You will not fire that weapon while shinobis of the Leaf are on it!" she told this while specifically facing A. "As I told you in the messages I sent to each of you, Toneri Otsutsuki attacked the Leaf Village and captured nearly all the Hyuugas. They are now being held as hostages on the Moon. That is also the reason why I sent the Moon Expedition, led by Naruto Uzumaki, to retrieve the Hyuugas, as well as find a way to stop Toneri from whatever madness he's committing" the Hokage told him, while making sure the other Kages listened as well.

The Raikage only scowled in return. "You what!? How can you be so foolish, Tsunade!? Why do you think sending shinobis to the Moon will solve this crisis!? You're only wasting their lives by sending them straight to their graves!" he rebuked his counterpart from the Leaf Village.

Despite hearing the tone in A's voice, Tsunade did not back down. "I'm not sending them to the Moon to die, Raikage. I'm sending them to save the Hyuugas from captivity, as well as stop the Moon from moving towards the Earth. Your suggestion of destroying it is beyond delusional! Do you know what happens if the Moon really is destroyed!?" she then challenged A to answer her.

"You think I don't know the risks!?" A spat out in return. "Yes! Hundreds of gigantic meteors will head towards Earth after the Moon is destroyed. But that's the only option we have, Tsunade! It's a risk I'm willing to take to save our world! Sending Naruto Uzumaki and other Leaf shinobis is a waste of resources!" he then added to his badgering of Tsunade.

"Somehow, I agree with the Raikage's sentiment" Onoki spoke up, supporting A, which was sometimes unusual given that those two leaders didn't get along with each other, except for in times of war. "Is there actually a possibility that the Moon can be stopped by other means? Time is running out. And it won't be long before the meteors hit the world. Naruto and this Moon Expedition may be running out of time" the Third Tsuchikage said this to Tsunade.

Tsunade remained firm when hearing this. "I won't abandon my fellow villagers of the Leaf! That is my decision!" Tsunade said to both A and Onoki. But she soon turned her attention to A. "I think you may have forgotten it A, but you and I have differences when it comes to saving our villagers, even those who have been captured by an enemy we have never faced before. I don't follow your methods, especially with what you did to the Sado clan" the Hokage then told her counterpart from the Cloud Village.

Hearing this only enraged A, and his anger could be seen on the screen. He gritted his teeth in anger while his eyes narrowed. But on another note, it seemed that Tsunade had touched a nerve on him. Even so, he did not seem to like what the Hokage brought up with him.

"Damn you, Tsunade! Don't speak as if you know the truth! You know NOTHING about the choices I had to make!" A snapped in anger, being most directed at Tsunade. "And the rest of you Kages knows that as well! I did my best to avoid casualties! But it couldn't be helped! A duel was the only thing that could end this skirmish between the Cloud Village and the Sado clan" the Raikage continued with acting defensive in front of his fellow Kages.

"What you did back there was a disgrace to the Hashirama-agreement, Fourth Raikage" Mei spoke up, voicing her dissatisfaction of A. "And the fact that you keep justifying it only speaks volumes" the Mizukage remarked, sounding very unimpressed about the Raikage.

"Let us not move away from the main subject concerning us all" Gaara suddenly made a plea to his fellow Kages and they all listened to him. They understood Gaara was wise beyond his years, which would explain why he was fit to be called Kazekage. "Whatever the situation is, all of us must act together on this crisis. And for Naruto and this Moon Expedition, let us give them a chance to stop this Toneri Otsutsuki from fulfilling this madness. All of us can't deny his inspirational efforts he pulled during the world war" Gaara then encouraged all the Kages to put faith in Naruto.

There was silence between the Five Kages as Gaara finished his encouragement. But it ended when A sighed deeply, indicating he was willing to give Naruto a try. The same thing could be said for Onoki and Mei. All of them knew how Naruto was someone they could rely on in times of crisis.

"Very well, I shall give Naruto and his Moon Expedition a chance to pull this through. But mark my words: I won't be judged for defending the Cloud Village and I won't be judged for saving the Earth. If they do not make it, we'll destroy the Moon with our specialized Chakra Cannons. There will be no delays. That is my word!" those were the final words of A before his screen shut off. This only meant that he had ended his conversation with his fellow Kages.

"Because of Naruto Uzumaki's efforts in turning our tide against Madara Uchiha in the world war, I am also willing to give him a chance. But that will be my only reason in doing so. And remember Tsunade, if your plan doesn't work, then we will have to compromise" Onoki told Tsunade before he also switched off, thus pulling himself out of this meeting.

This left Tsunade with just Gaara and Mei. The reason why those three were still on the screen was because of the fact they could now discuss with each other about their secret operations with this Triple Entente. While each of the three didn't like keeping it a secret from both Onoki and A, they felt it was the right thing of them to do, in this case.

"You will have to forgive my robustness. A seems to have grown bolder by the years" Tsunade apologized to them with a smirk forming underneath her lips.

"He has his people's safety at heart, but he's solving his problems in reckless ways. Hopefully, the Raikage has managed to shrug off some of that stubbornness" Gaara told her about his opinion of A.

"Let's not waste time here. We all have duties to fulfill in our villages know that the crisis has become a global matter" Mei told her counterparts. For some reason, a hint of regret could be seen on the Mizukage's face. Why was she feeling this way? "I have grim news that I want to share with you with regards to our combined ANBU Black Ops. Something happened in the oceans near the Kame Island" she revealed to Gaara and Tsunade.

"What happened to them…." Tsunade asked lowly. Even Gaara was also willing to know the fate of these shinobis.

Mei let out a deep sigh before giving them the hard truth. "Our sources throughout the smaller islands in the Land of Water tell us that the Divine Division, the Grim Guard and the Shadow Squad were on the seas searching for the location of the Island of Tides. But from what they tell us, they say that a giant tsunami appeared, destroying the vessel they were on. The authorities on the Kame Island has immediately dispatched rescue teams to find any survivors. But I am not sure whether there will be survivors. That is the only thing I wanted to tell you two. When we got notified of the casualties, I will personally let you know" Mei told them, her voice having so much sadness and regret. She even switched off the screen, thus pulling herself out of this conversation.

Gaara was closing his eyes when hearing this. "Forgive me, Tsunade. But I need time to reflect on what I have been hearing so far. I will let you know when we need to discuss more" the young Kazekage told the Hokage before he also pulled out.

As soon as Tsunade was finished conversing with all her counterparts, she felt somewhat ashamed of herself. All her assistants and aides could see how the Fifth Hokage was feeling somewhat regretful. They all understood why she felt that way.

"Lady Tsunade…." Shizune spoke up lowly to her superior.

"It's all my fault…." Tsunade told herself while feeling hurt on the inside. "I shouldn't have ordered the Shadow Squad to pursue this mission…..it only complicated things more…." She admitted in front of everyone.

"It's not your fault, Lady Tsunade. You couldn't have predicted the tsunami and neither could Gaara or Mei" Kakashi suddenly spoke up, thus making Tsunade glance at her in slight astonishment. Kakashi nodded his head. "Yes. Remember, the Shadow Squad was solely created to protect the interests of the Leaf Village from its shadows. All its members knew the risk they were taking the moment they put on the outfit and the mask" the white-haired man explained while recalling the time he was in the ANBU. "And besides, while shocking as it may be, it would be too early to estimate that the Shadow Squad have died. We can't be sure whether the Mizukage's sources are correct or not" he then told Tsunade.

When being reminded about this, Tsunade couldn't help but to form a smirk. Her pervious face that was filled with regret was all gone. She needed to thank Kakashi later. She suddenly stood up from her seat, which only surprised her associates and advisors.

"You know, Kakashi. If it hadn't been for your encouragement, I would have forgotten something. How could I've have been so forgetful?" Tsunade said before turning her attention to Shizune. "Shizune, the black vests that members of the Shadow Squad carry contain a hidden censor on the inside that can't be damaged by water, am I correct?" she asked her.

Shizune simply nodded her head as a yes in return. "Yeah, I think so…." She suddenly snapped in realization once she got a hang of what her superior was getting at. "Wait….do you suppose that…." Shizune stopped when seeing Tsunade smirk at her.

"You guessed right, Shizune. I need to see the Cryptanalysis Team. It seems that I require their services once again" the Hokage told her before heading out the door, but not before turning around to look at her advisors. "All of you stay in the Hokage Tower. You may as well come and join the astronomers who have already been camping on the roof" she said before exiting her office.

* * *

 _Next day, on the shores of a mysterious island_

As the sun slowly began shining upon his sleeping form, Sasuke Uchiha slowly opened his eyes. The winds and the sound of the ocean shoring had made him finally snap back into reality. As soon as Sasuke opened his eyes, he found himself lying on sand. But it was not just sand he saw. Moving his head, he saw that he had ben shored somewhere and he was currently facing the ocean.

Slowly and steady, Sasuke got up on his feet, his head still feeling slightly dizzy from the wave that had hit him yesterday. Yes, Sasuke still remembered it. He had been one of the few brave shinobis, who jumped off the fishing vessel before it was hit by the tsunami. Yet despite this, he could avoid the wave and its power, so he was taken by it as well.

Sasuke could still see that he was holding his blade, yet he had lost his ANBU mask. But that was the least of his worries. He was more focused on finding out where he was now. Looking around, the raven-haired man took notice of the many wreckages that existed on the shore. But the more stunning view was the rocky wall that he could see before him. Sasuke was stunned. Where he had been shored off to locked like a tall mountain kissing the skies.

"Where am I…." Sasuke wondered as he began taking small steps towards the mountain. "Is this really it? Is this…..the Island of Tides?" he then wondered while passing by the wreckages along the way.

Sasuke could feel his entire outfit being wet, including his sandals. But he was not freezing. He carried on towards his destination. But was he the only one to have been sent to this shore by the ocean? Whatever the circumstances, Sasuke realized that he was on his own for now. He would continue with the mission, and find whoever this Crimson Dragon really was.

While he was moving, Sasuke pasued as he began taking a look at the mountain's highest peak. His black eyes moved upwards, where he could see the Moon itself. He had heard about the current crisis, yet he had been charged with accompanying the Shadow Squad to this mission. Now, he understood why the squad had been tasked to find this island.

"This island…it lies right underneath the Moon…." Sasuke noted beneath his breath, observing how the highest peak itself pointed upwards towards the Moon as a harpoon cannon getting ready to be shot. "Was it only coincidental that the island was raised in this exact spot? Something does not make sense here" he added to his hypothesis.

Based upon recent events, this island could perhaps have been raised in relation to the Moon moving closer to the Earth. From what Sasuke could tell, the island itself didn't seem that ancient at all. It was relatively new. But who could have the power to raise this island from the depths? That was one of the questions that came into Sasuke's mind right now.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: This chapter was great, huh? We saw how things were going on with Naruto and his friends. They will plan on finding Hinata, who appears to be in a very vulnerable situation from now on. I did tell you that I wanted my version of Toneri to be more devious than the one in The Last. But he may have some redemption in the end, although I won't seek to asspull him. But we were given a trip back to the Leaf Village and see how they were coping with this crisis. I may want to have another scene of where Tsunade has this type of communications between her fellow Kages. While Gaara and Mei seem to be willing to help her, Onoki and A have some reservations, especially A. In this story, I will also like to touch upon this conflict between the Sado clan and the Cloud Village. I will also tell you why A gets very emotional when he's confronted by it. The next chapter will probably be concentrated on Sasuke and how he will find his way on this uncharted island. Stay tuned for more.**


	18. Uncharted Faces

**Author's note: WARNING: This chapter will reveal the identities of the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts. For those of you who have not read the previous chapters, I suggest you do so. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Uncharted Faces**

 _Somewhere in the seas of the Land of Water_

Having been washed ashore to this unfamiliar island after a giant tsunami swallowed the fishing vessel he was on, Sasuke Uchiha was forced to wander the island, in hopes of getting a clue of where he was. But for some reason, Sasuke was beginning to suspect that the island he was currently standing on was the Island of Tides. From what he could tell from looking at this mountainous island, it seemed relatively had also taken notice of the few wreckages along the shores. In a way, the place functioned as a ship graveyard.

Currently, Sasuke was walking at the foot of the mountain, watching its tall spires kiss the sky as he kept on walking. As he reached the end of the shorelines thanks to the rocky wall blocking his bath, Sasuke knew that there had to be some way. On the other side of the shoreline, a wall of rock also blocked his path. Was Sasuke stuck on this beach?

No, he wasn't. Turning left, he was stunned to discover a hidden stairway made out of rocks. From what Sasuke could tell, they would lead him up to the top of the rocky wall blocking his way. Without hesitating, he walked up the stairs, pondering about where it would lead him to.

"I don't know where this will lead me to. But once I reach the top of that wall, I will be given a clear view of what's on the other side" Sasuke noted as he walked upstairs.

Reaching the top and walking on the cliff, Sasuke was surprised to see what it was that lied on the other side of the rocky wall. From what he could see, it was a small bay that was filled with destroyed ships, both modern and wooden. It was a ship graveyard. There were little sand to be seen, as the bay was filled with water. But there was more to what Sasuke saw. On each of these ships that were still floating on the water, he could see thousands of raiders camping on them making bonfires while drinking or dancing. In a way, they were almost behaving like pirates.

What also astounded Sasuke was when he caught glimpse of some of the captives that the raiders had taken. He was looking at the ship closest to his standpoint, a big wooden ship. There were no sails, yet the raiders had already camped on it and treated it as their own ship. But as Sasuke got a closer look at the captives. He realized something. Four of these people were members of the Grim Guard: Komazu, Sari, Nejiri and Ittetsu. Each of them were tied in ropes around the ship's mainmast. This would only prevent them from freeing themselves with a kunai.

Realizing that he was not the only one being shored to this island, Sasuke decided to free them, in hopes of gaining information about whether there were more survivors of the tsunami. The raven-haired man was considering hiding in the ship's crow's nest and then free the captives. From where he was standing, it was high enough for him to reach the crow's nest. But he had to be careful, as there was a raider already camping in the crow's nest.

As Sasuke slowly and steadily balanced himself on the long vard, he could see that none of the raiders below had taken notice of him jumping onto the ship. Not even the raider in the crow's nest had seen him. From what he could tell, all these men were somehow intoxicated, thus reducing their sensibilities. This only made things simpler for Sasuke.

Reaching the crow's nest, Sasuke grabbed the raider around his neck while using his sword to quickly cut his throat. He performed a silent assassination, not wanting to cause a stir among the raiders by throwing the raider down to the deck. Sasuke proceeded by spying down on the raiders below him. They were still dancing and singing while drinking to their heart's content. But at the same time, Sasuke wondered whether this intoxication those raiders were under the influence of could lead to them harming their captives. After all, these men were now in la la land. But Sasuke mused to himself, as this was something he could use to his advantage.

Standing on the crow's nest, he grabbed a nearby rope and cut. It became abundantly clear that Sasuke was intending on swinging down at the raiders to launch a surprise attack on them. He kicked on of the raiders off the ship, which made the others focus their attention on him. All of them were outraged over what he had done.

"Who the hell are you!?" one of the raiders demanded an answer out of Sasuke.

"And why did you kick our comrade off the ship!?" another raider asked while pulling out his katana. "You know what? Screw this interrogation! Let's kill this motherfucker!" he then exclaimed toxically.

Sasuke only stood still as the raiders charged at him like a mob of raging bullies. Despite that he was only one against many, it didn't bother him. In fact, it only made things sweeter, as Sasuke could destroy their morale by defeating them singlehandedly. And so, he did. As the raiders neared him, Sasuke drew out his blade in a quick pace.

"DON'T WASTE MY TIME, FOOLS!" Sasuke yelled as he swung his blade. This froze the raiders as they didn't proceed to attack him. But in just a short minute, they all got cuts from Sasuke's slashing, eventually falling onto the deck bleeding seriously.

Now that he had taken care of them, Sasuke could turn his attention to the four members of the Grim Guard, who had taken notice of him arriving and fighting the raiders. All of them had been stunned to see Sasuke alive, especially after the great tsunami. But Sasuke freed each of them, then started hearing what they had to say.

"We must thank you for saving us. None of us had expected any of us survivors to be captured by the raiders" Nejiri thanked him with a gentle bow.

This made Sasuke raise an eyebrow. "You were captured by the raiders? After the tsunami struck down on us?" he asked them.

Sari nodded her head as a yes. "Yeah. Immediately after we were blown away by the tsunami, we were struggling to keep ourselves afloat. It was only a matter of time before the raiders' ships reappeared and captured us like we were fish. Once captured, we were taken to this island, where they eventually sent us to this ship graveyard along with other low-ranking members" the young woman explained their stories.

"So this means that the commanders and their seconds-in-command are holed inside that mountain?" Sasuke then asked them.

"I guess you can say that" Ittetsu remarked before pointing his finger at the rocky cliff which was accessible thanks to a destroyed wooden ship. In that cliff, Sasuke could see something which resembled a lift, except for the fact that it was made out of wood. It was an impressive technology as the lift kept moving upwards and downwards repeatedly. "That lift over there must be the one these raiders take to get inside the mountain. I don't know whether it's the right way, but that's the only thing I can come up with" the young man then said what he thought was right.

Sasuke was now directing his attention on a modern ship that seemed to be floating on the waters. But it's end was gradually sunken, thus forcing the ship to stand upwards while floating. Sasuke activated his Sharingan, hoping to locate someone inside it. He could see several raiders patrol on the ship's exterior. But on the other hand, he could notice someone being held inside the ship.

Komaza was curious to know why Sasuke was still standing there watching the ship. "So…are you planning on going to that ship?" he asked, yet Sasuke immediately jumped off to the nearest point where he could stand on. One of the wooden ships was lost sunken, yet the ram on the ship was faced upwards towards the sky.

Sasuke immediately turned around to look at the four members of the Grim Guard. "I'm going to see what's inside that ship. All of you stay somewhere safe. And try not to get caught once again" he told them strictly before proceeding towards his target.

"Fine…..asshole" Komaza muttered underneath his breath.

"You know, you got some nerve talking trash to someone who just freed you" Ittetsu told Komaza. The two members of the Grim Guard were on the verge of starting an argument. "How about you do us all a favor and grow the hell up" Ittetsu then suggested to him.

"Shut your trap! I'm not in the mood for this right now" Komaza stated walking towards the other side of the ship, thus wanting to be alone.

"I know that we shouldn't follow Sasuke. But I really want to see if there are other members of the Grim Guard on that ship" Sari suddenly admitted to her comrades.

"We all feel that way" Nejiri said, agreeing with Sari. "But considering that Sasuke was able to save us, he will certainly save those held captive on that ship. I mean, he can't be that heartless as people claim he is" he added, although Nejiri was having some hints of questionability to Sasuke's honesty.

The raven-haired man was just climbing up to the ship. He looked both sides to watch for any raiders before getting on deck. So far, none of the raiders seemed to have taken notice of him. That only made things sweeter for Sasuke. He noticed one of the nearby doors leading to inside the ship itself. It was broken, thus leaving the entrance open. Sasuke snuck inside.

Inside the corridors of the ship, Sasuke could see how rusty it looked inside. He could not only see it on the stairs and doors, but also on the walls themselves. There was no question that the ship was damaged. How it still managed to float remained questionable. But such was the least of Sasuke's concerns. He kept searching through the corridors, while making sure to tread lightly.

"They must have captives in here somewhere" Sasuke noted as he walked down the stairs that took him to the lowest level of the ship. Along with stairs, he could also see an elevator beside it. But the elevator seemed damaged, so Sasuke didn't feel like wasting time on that. Once he was finished with the stairs, Sasuke was surprised to discover how the floor was wet and filled with water. "These corridors are wet….it's almost as if the ship is sinking….." Sasuke remarked before cautiously proceeding through the water.

But since the ship was gradually facing upwards, it meant that not everything on the lowest level was covered in water. Thus, he proceeded towards the way that took him upwards. But just as he turned around a corner, Sasuke spotted two guards guarding what appeared to be guarding a door. Unfortunately for him, they quickly spotted Sasuke coming around and immediately drew their swords at him.

"Hey! Who are you!?" one of the raiders asked while charging towards Sasuke.

But fortunately for Sasuke, these raiders were easy to deal with. Sasuke didn't even need to kill them, as he just knocked them out senseless. He was already far stronger than those common crooks. Taking care of them, Sasuke proceeded to open the door the raiders were guarding. He then discovered what he could find.

To his surprise, he saw Shito Akimichi, Tatsuma Aburame, Ensui Nara and Tokuma Hyuuga being held behind bars. All four members of the Shadow Squad were surprised to see him standing there. None of them knew what to say and the same could be said about Sasuke.

"Uchiha…..how are you…" Tokuma uttered out in disbelief over seeing Sasuke still being alive.

"We thought you had perished in the tsunami" Ensui spoke up, the clansman from the Nara clan also stunned to see him there.

"Save the questions for later. I plan on freeing those I can find on this ship. Then, I will tell you how I ended up here. But until then, just wait while I unlock this cell" Sasuke told them while searching the defeated guards for any keys.

But Shito folded his arms while grunting. "Heh! I would prefer if you left me alone in the cage. No way in hell I'm letting an ex-criminal free me!" he boasted arrogantly, only for his fellow members of the Shadow Squad to glare at him with dispassion. "What!?" Shito asked, not getting what their deal was.

"Do you always listen to what your mouth and stomach tells you? We have a mission to accomplish yet you would rather stay behind like some coward!?" Tatsuma expressed his dispassion with the Akimichi clansman.

"Alright, alright! Relax! I was just being sarcastic, that's all! Geez, haven't you guys heard about sarcasm?" Shito spoke up, trying to calm his comrades.

"Well, your sarcasm eludes us" Tokuma noted, which only made both Tatsuma and Ensui laugh at the chubby man.

Shito grumbled in defeat while leaning against the wall muttering to himself. "Tch…jackasses" he said.

Sasuke unlocked the cage and set his fellow members of the Shadow Squad free. He then continued with searching for any prisoners he could free, but not before leaving some words to his comrades.

"I will continue searching for any captives onboard this ship. When you get up deck, there is a wooden ship nearby where I've freed some members of the Grim Guard. You can stay there if you want. But please, try not to get captured once again" the raven-haired man told them before moving on.

Shito was fuming with anger when hearing this. "Hey! You better take back what you just said you….." Shito was interrupted with Ensui holding him back by his shoulder.

"Let it go, Shito. How about we go back while letting the professional handle the freeing?" the man with the ponytail suggested to him smugly before dragging Shito away.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had just defeated four raiders, each duo guarding a door across one another. The guards were easy to defeat and Sasuke started searching the rooms for any captives. In one room, he found four members of the Grim Guard. They were Mikoshi, Shira, Sen and Yome. He freed them first before searching the other room. In there, he found six members of the Divine Division. They were Karin, Ganryu, Kiri, Ruka, Gonbe and Heki. He also freed them.

"Oh Sasuke! I'm so glad that you're alive!" Karin exclaimed gleefully while hugging Sasuke. "I thought I would never get out of this ship alive" the redhead added while trying to sound melodramatic as possible.

But Sasuke simply chose not to take her seriously and made sure that all the captives were now freed. Apparently, many of them were, as unusual as it was, grateful to Sasuke for freeing them. Even those with reserved personalities like Shira and Ganryu were having such thoughts towards him.

"We thank you for freeing us, Sasuke Uchiha" Ganryu spoke up, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I take it you have already freed those of the Shadow Squad" the swordsman then suggested to which Sasuke nodded his head in return.

"Yes, I have indeed" Sasuke told him before moving on. But he did look over his shoulder to glance at the group one more time. "I will see wether there are more captives in the last room. You guys may go upstairs and find a wooden ship. I've already freed someone there" he told them before proceeding.

Karin stood and watched, uncertain on whether she should've followed Sasuke or not. But the redhead suddenly felt her hand being held by Ruka. She smiled at her warmly.

"Come on, Karin. Let's go upstairs and regroup with the rest. We can leave the freeing to him" she insisted to Karin, who then nodded fiercely in return. They then headed towards the stairs.

Sasuke was already entering the last room on the lowest level which was surprisingly taller than the rest of the rooms. And considering that the ship itself was pointing upwards in the air, so was this room. Sasuke could see members of both the Shadow Squad and the Interrogation Squad being held in this room. He saw Sai, Yamato, Ino Yamanaka, Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamiki, Tonbo Tobikate, Shimon Hijiri, Mawashi Dokuraku, Iwashi Tatami and Mozuka. But they were not the only ones to be held in this room. To the raven-haired man's surprise both Juugo and Suigetsu Hozuki were held in capsules, which were impossible for them to break. They were as hard as steel.

"Sasuke…" Ino spoke up, her blue eyes widening in surprise in seeing him standing there. "You're.…..alive!" she then said her voice hinting to a sign of relief.

"I knew you would come. I never doubted you for a second" Sai spoke up, the pale-skinned man smiling at Sasuke.

Sasuke entered the room, looking around and saw that there were no guards standing there. "This doesn't seem right. Are all of you here by yourself?" he asked everyone, only to stop searching for an answer once he heard the door behind him getting shut. Even though it was unpredictable, Sasuke remained unfazed.

"Unfortunately, there is a guard holding onto the keys to our chains" Yamato spoke up, his head pinpointing to the person appearing behind Sasuke.

It was a tall and muscular man who carried a club on his shoulder. He clearly looked like a big bully, as well as the torturer in a prison. He was baldheaded, wore earrings and was tattooed across his muscular torso. But he did wear pants and sandals. The raider laughed as he watched Sasuke.

"Look who finally decided to show up, eh? A little rat who apparently smelled the bait I gave him" the raider boasted, his voice deep as that of a seafaring pirate. "Heh! Care to turn around and let me see that face of yours!? Cause I wanna see how it looked like before I bludgeoned it!" he then kept on taunting Sasuke.

Sighing deeply, Sasuke decided to give into the tall raider's demand. He glanced up at him with a bored expression, not being able to take him seriously. The raider could see that, yet he decided to keep taunting Sasuke.

"What's the matter? Too scared to even say a word? Or are you perhaps mute? If so, then you must've had one fucked up life!" the raider then said, this time laughing to empower his taunt. Even so, Sasuke remained unimpressed with him. "So, any last words before I pound ya!? Or perhaps I should hire a priest to pray for you. Either way, I'm so gonna enjoy this! I bet I even could…" before the thug could say anything further, he snapped as he could feel something. To his horror, Sasuke was using his Chidori, and had just stabbed him right through his stomach. "AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!" the raider screamed in pain before Sasuke pulled out his fist.

Sasuke did not express regret for what he just did and simply chose to ignore the injured thug. "That should shut you up. Your boasting left yourself wide open. So for your own safety, shut up and stay down! You're not even worth my time" he told him coldly before proceeding towards the captives who were in chains. Sasuke had managed to snatch the keys from the thug while performing the Chidori on him.

The raider was on his knees, clutching onto his injury. He coughed out a pool of blood while angrily glaring at Sasuke with bleeding teeth. He still had enough power to move, so he wanted to get back at Sasuke. That is why he slowly began standing up to his feet.

"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF…..ARRRRRRRRHHHHGGGGGGGGGG!" he howled in pain once again after Sasuke used his Chidori Laser Spear on his right knee. It pierced through him and even made the pain more agonizing.

"Don't make me repeat myself!" Sasuke said before looking over his shoulder to glare at the thug with his crimson eyes, thus confirming the fact that he had activated his Sharingan. "Stay down" he told him without a slight of remorse for his actions.

This intimidation, coupled with the paralysis, made the raider cower before him. He started begging for mercy, despite the fact that Sasuke was not paying attention to him at all. He freed every one of his comrades, as well as Juugo and Suigestu. They both were relieved to be set free.

"Thanks for busting us out of these, Sasuke. Somehow, that capsule prevented me from using my Liquify Justu. I pretty much was put in a much "securer" cell" Suigetsu spoke up.

"The same thing can be said for me as well. That glass was powerful, impossible to break" Juugo said, agreeing with Suigetsu's suggestion.

"But we're all free now. And we all have Sasuke to thank for freeing us" Sai spoke up while nodding at him in a friendly gesture. "I think we all owe you our gratitude, Sasuke. Some of us were hoping to see you here, considering the fact that you weren't found and captured by the raiders after the tsunami" he then told Sasuke.

"I know. But coincidentally I washed up to this island and found myself lying on an isolated beach not far from here. I then proceeded to find this ship graveyard" Sasuke told them before moving towards the door. "Let's go up on deck. I already freed the other captives on this ship. They'll be waiting for us" he then said before opening the door.

As they all followed Sasuke, Yamato had to admit he was somehow happy to see that not everything about him was as dark as some of his co-workers suggested. But he was not alone. Even now, both Kotetsu and Izumo were starting to trust him more, which was apparently obvious given that they were not necessarily regular members of the Interrogation Squad. Furthermore, neither of them had been in charge of guarding and interrogating Sasuke which differed greatly from those like Shimon and Tonbo.

Everyone was gathered on the deck, with some of the captives having already taken care of the patrolling raiders by knocking them out. As such, the surviving members of the Triple Entente were now united, freed from the clutches of the raiders. All of them stood and watched how close the Moon was beginning to move towards the Earth, let alone the towering spires of the mountain on the island.

"So this is the Island of Tides?" Ino asked while studying the tall mountain. "Whatever it is, that mountain sure is big" the blondie admitted, getting slightly amazed to see something that tall.

"I'm surprised by how we are unable to see the Island of Tides given the size of that mountain" Ganryu admitted while glancing up to it. But the swordsman soon looked around to see if he could spot a nearby island in the ocean. He saw none. "But then again, the fog is really helpful in hiding it from curious sailors. Sounds like an ideal place for raiders and human traffickers to be dwelling on" he then said.

"The Moon keeps getting closer. But I have a feeling that something feels odd with regards to the location of this island. Why is it located directly underneath the Moon?" Sai wondered as he faced the giant thing getting closer.

"That's an awfully good question, Sai. But let's not forget, this island was raised from the depths not long ago. Perhaps we may find some answers to this when we search inside the mountain" Yamato replied to Sai's question.

"Hold on!" Suigetsu interrupted while facing the group with a raised eyebrow. "Are you saying we're going inside that giant piece of rock? I don't know, but it sounds like a dumb move if you ask me" he said what he thought about going inside.

Karin rolled her eyes while listening to this. "Of course, we'll go inside! Our commanders are held as captives in there! What, you're thinking about leaving them to die and go home!" she snapped at Suigetsu, who only groaned in return.

"Yes, we must head inside that mountain, but our motives are not just to capture the three hooded terrorists. We are also find out the source of this unfamiliar Chakra" Juugo told his friend.

But some of Sasuke's friends could see that he was glaring at the mountain. He had a reason for doing that. Somewhere inside, the Crimson Dragon was waiting for him to enter. The raven-haired man wanted to enter the mountain, but he had his own motives in doing so. He sought to find out who this Crimson Dragon really was.

"So Sasuke" he was interrupted in his pondering when Yamato kindly asked him. "Do you have any plans? You freed us all so we owe you our services" the brown-haired man added with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Sasuke had to raise an eyebrow when hearing this. "What do you mean by…." Sasuke was interrupted when someone spoke up with an abortive voice.

"Hold on! Since when was he made our team leader!? I sure as hell didn't vote for him! Can't we just….OUCH!" Shito suddenly yelled in pain when Tokuma stomped on his foot. "What was that for!?" he demanded while holding onto his sore foot.

"As for letting your mouth do the talking once again, idiot!" Tokuma rebuked him before turning his attention to Sasuke. He surprisingly glanced at him with a gentle smile. "We all think we should follow you inside that mountain. Once we're there, we can figure out what to do next. So I'm in favor of following you, Sasuke Uchiha" he told him.

"Same here" the voice belonged to Mikoshi from the Grim Guard. "It appears that Commander Baki and his elite subordinates are held inside the mountain. Therefore, it would be logical for us to follow you" the four-eyed man told Sasuke gently.

"Until our commanders are freed, we could consider you our interim leader" Ganryu said while chuckling a little as he said that. "We will do anything to save Commander Shachi and his associates, even if that means repaying you for your kind gesture in freeing us" the Mist ninja told him.

While unsure about this at first, Sasuke smiled lightly as he saw how the majority of the freed captives were willing to follow him. He apricated their willingness and thus motioned for everyone to follow him. Sasuke pointed his finger towards the cliff where the lift was seen being operational. But not only did Sasuke do that, he soon began putting on a black cape which he had found from some of the corpse of the raiders.

"Before we do anything, I suggest that we put on these capes. They could play a part in covering our outfits. But they won't cover our faces. As such, we will have to be careful with what we do. Now as for how to get in. That lift seems to be large enough for all of us to fit in. And considering that I have no knowledge about how the caverns inside the mountain works, we'll just have to improvise. But remember, we're about to head into the heart of enemy territory. Don't expect this to be easy" Sasuke told them before making his move by jumping off towards the cliff.

The entire group followed him soon after, and they all stood and waited until one of the lifts managed to arrive. From the way they saw it, this lift was functioning with the help of mechanics. They could even see the cogwheels working in the rocky wall.

"I've never seen such a lift before. I take it took quite a lot of engineers to build this one" Sai noted in slight astonishment of what he was seeing.

"Agreed. But somehow, this technology seems quite modern" Yamato said while agreeing with Sai's sentiment.

One of the lift suddenly appeared before the group and everyone got on it as quickly as possible. Despite this lift being made out of wood, it went relatively fast. The whole group of ANBUs could see that once they took off so high. The lift went almost as fast as a modern elevator. While being taken high along the mountain, some of the ANBUs were starting to feel uncomfortable as they looked how far it was from up there.

"S-s-so high!" Ittetsu said while looking down. "I'm starting to h-have second t-thoughts about this!" he then added to his paranoia.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" Komaza said while he cheeks were bloating.

The two members of the Grim Guard were held firmly by their comrade, the man named Shira. He glanced at both men with nothing but irritation in his eyes.

"If you idiots wouldn't have looked down, then perhaps you would've not felt this way. Neither of you are acrophobic so stop whining and start manning up for once!" Shira told both Ittetsu and Komaza, having grown irritated over hearing them complaining. This forced the two members of the Grim Guard to not look down. But they weren't only ones having this problem.

"Ummm…guys?" Shito asked his comrades in the Shadow Squad in a nervous manner. The chubby man was not feeling so wall and they could see that based upon the expression on his face. "You don't happen to carry a vomit bag with ya, right? I'm starting to feel kinda dizzy" he said while trying to cover his mouth.

"A vomit bag, seriously?" Tatsuma asked his comrade while raising an eyebrow.

"You gotta be kidding me! How can you feel sick by just standing on a damn lift!? What are you, 5!?" Ensui asked the Akimichi clansman with a raised eyebrow.

Hearing this forced Shito to get a hold on himself, yet he started a confrontation against Ensui. "Shut up, Ensui! Don't you ever judge me you….." Shito stopped when he could feel himself getting sick once again. He had to cover his mouth, much to the annoyance of his comrades.

"What an imbecile" Tokuma muttered beneath his breath, the Hyuuga clansman not being able to stand Shito and his cocky antics.

The lift continued going up alongside the mountain and those onboard were starting to wonder whether this lift would take them up till the mountain's peaks. They thought of this assumption given how far up they were going.

"How far up are we going exactly?" Ino asked those around her. "I think we even went through clouds on our way" she then said, and everyone knew she was correct in saying this.

"Wherever this lift will take us to, it's makers sure made a marvelous work, that they did" Karin noted while adjusting her glasses.

It didn't take long before the ANBUs found themselves before a tunnel so high above the ship graveyard. They were stunned to see that the lift was taking them inside it as well. Looking up, they saw that the lift was still following the rope guided the lift on its tracks. It only made them realize that the base of operations of these raiders, was inside the mountain, yet very high. Below them, the ANBUs could see the endless depths, thus confirming the fact they were high above ground level.

Juugo looked to both sides in this "entrance" to the mountain. "I've never known someone would settle something so dark as inside a mountain. I mean, daylight won't shine through these rocky walls" he remarked, stunned over the fact how someone could live in this place.

"I have a feeling that this "trip" isn't the only thing that will intrigue us" Mikoshi said as he studied the rocky walls. "Once we arrive at the place where the raiders dwell in, we'll be more than surprised to see what kind of lives they live in" the Sand shinobi then told his fellow members of the Grim Guard as they listened closely.

It didn't take long before the lift entered a narrow hole at the end of the tunnel and once they went through it, they were given a stunning view of a sprawling bastion of activity beneath them. It was astounding. The lift was now giving them a perfect view of the shack city that the raiders, bandits and pirates used as their headquarters. How many inhabitants the shack city had, remained unanswered. It was covered in filth and dirt, and there were so many torches that were used as light. The raiders had even houses along the rocky walls of this cavern.

Suigetsu whistled in amazement. "Woah…what the hell am I just seeing now!?" the white-haired man asked, admitting he was impressed over seeing a shack city like this.

"A civilization inside a mountain…intriguing" Sai noted of what he saw. "I can even see how the raiders below us are enjoying living here. In this play, they are the law here" the pale-skinned man added while trying to survey the urban landscape.

"But still, this place reeks! I'm surprised that given how so many people dwell here, none of them have died of epidemies or anything like that. It scares me" Yamato said.

While most of the ANBUs were expressing their reactions to seeing this sprawling shack city, Sasuke was more concentrated on surveying it, or perhaps more specifically locating the whereabout of certain persons of interest. That included the hooded trio, especially the Crimson Dragon. So far, he had no luck in locating or identifying any of them. The city was like a labyrinth.

"Where are you…..you can't hide forever" Sasuke thought, desiring to find that person.

"It seems that the trip is over. Our stop should be at that mechanical tower over there" Ganryu suddenly told anyone as they fixed their attentions to the tower that was functioning like a ski lift. But the swordsman drew his blade. "However, there are a pack of bandits standing there. We should dispose of them before they alert their comrades. Let's not forget that we're escaped captives. Some of them might even recognize our faces" he then said.

And thus, Ganryu was joined by Mikoshi, Shura, Kiri, Kotetsu and Izumo. These five would jump down and launch a surprise attack on the raiders. As the lift neared the mechanical tower, they started their attack, catching the raiders by surprise. The raiders drew their katanas and kunai, yet their reaction was too late to counter against the ANBUs. They were faster and more efficient in attacking them.

Once the raiders were put down, the shinobis of the Triple Entente were having a quick gathering on what to do now. And once again, some of them were looking at Sasuke to see if he had any plans. To their surprises, he had none.

"What all of you wanna do now is up to you. But avoid getting into conflicts with these raiders. They rely on deceit and deception to overcome their opponents" Sasuke told them, being honest as he could. Sasuke then proceeded towards the stairs that led to the shack city. "I'm going to search for someone that I know I must defeat. After I've done that, my family can rest in peace" Sasuke told them before vanishing from his spot.

The ANBUs were surprised to see why Sasuke was keen on going on his own instead of helping them with freeing the commanders. But then again, they had yet to find out where specifically the commanders were held up. They couldn't see anything that resembled a prison. This confusion only lead to some of Sasuke's friends to talk about him.

"Why would Sasuke chose to search the shack city on his own?" Ino asked those around her.

"I think it's painfully obvious, Ino" Yamato told her with a deep frown. "He's going to pursue the Crimson Dragon. You could see how calm he was behaving during the trip. Ever since the incident at the Aburame Clan Wedding, Sasuke has begun questioning whether he is in fact the last living Uchiha. Now that he's here, he won't lose the chance to find out the true identity of this Crimson Dragon" he explained what really motivated Sasuke for doing all this.

"Has he gone mad? Sasuke can't face off against these terrorists on his own" Karin said, starting to have some worries about Sasuke. "It just doesen't feel right letting him go on his own" she told Yamato.

"Which is exactly why I'm planning on following him!" Ino suddenly said determined which caused some of her friends to raise eyebrows. "He can't shoulder this burden all by himself, he needs to open up to his allies. And besides, I am a member of the Interrogation Squad. It's actually my duty to watch over Sasuke and make sure he does stick to the verdict he received" the blondie told them, even forming a smirk in the process.

Yamato furrowed brows when hearing this. "Are you sure about this?" he asked her.

Sai mused to himself when hearing what Ino just said. "You really sound like his jailor, Ino. It amuses me sometimes" he told her before holding up one of his pencils. "If you're planning on following Sasuke, I'll do the same thing. Commander Uzuki did charge me to watch over Sasuke's behavior in the Shadow Squad. I may as well fulfill that duty while in here" Sai added with humor in his voice.

Ino smiled at him. "Glad we're on the same page, Sai" she complimented him.

"Don't forget about me" the Leaf shinobis were interrupted when hearing Suigetsu's voice, the white-haired man grinning at the two with his shark-like teeth. "I still wanna get my chance to beat Sasuke's ass, so I can't let him waltz off and die. So I'm following you two. Screw the orders. Now that Commander Shachi and Hyozan is behind bars, I'm free to do whatever the hell I want" he added smugly.

"Then I'll tag along as well!" Karin spoke up with a gruff voice, the redhead facing Suigetsu sternly. "Someone outta keep an eye on you and your bloodlust!" she told him sternly, only for Suigetsu to groan in annoyance.

"I will also come along" Juugo spoke up in a politely manner. "I have a fear that Sasuke could potentially end up in danger by pursuing this Crimson Dragon. Plus, I sometimes indebted to Sasuke, given that he was willing to free me from Orocimaru's lab. I now realize that I don't wanna spend the rest of my entire life as a test subject. I have free will" the orange-haired man spoke about what he felt about Sasuke.

Ino had to smile as she listened to some of the words that came out of these people. But she was not the only one. Sai and Yamato were doing that as well. "It appears to me that each of you have known Sasuke for a very long time. I can see why he tolerates your presence" the blondie remarked.

"That's something said a couple of days ago" Sai told her.

"Enough of that. It appears that we all wish to see Sasuke not do something stupid. So how about we all go and follow Sasuke? After all, there is more than enough of us in the Triple Entente to go look for the commanders" Yamato suggested to them with a smug smile. However, he soon formed a frown before continuing. "But remember, we have yet to understand how powerful these hooded terrorists are. Try not to let your guard down when we're facing them" he then gave everyone an advice.

"RIGHT!" everyone said together and they all vanished, hoping to catch up with Sasuke in the shack city.

But they were not the ones that had been keen on following Sasuke. Tatsuma, Shito, Ensui and Tokuma of the Shadow Squad had overheard this conversation Sasuke's friends had and they started to get curious. Tokuma and Tatsuma were those who had been the most curious of the four.

"They are going after the Crimson Dragon. Or more specifically, Sasuke is going after the Crimson Dragon" Tatsuma said while watching some of his bugs crawl on his fingers.

Tokuma had activated his Byakugan and was now trying to find Sasuke. "These filfthy streets are impossible for me to locate him. But we best follow that group and see if that gets us closer to Sasuke" he told his comrades.

"Hold on! Why are following that guy, anyway? I mean, weren't we supposed to find the whereabouts of the commanders?" Shito asked while getting confused by all this.

"We were, but let me ask you this, Shito. You really think that the commanders would be held and guarded by clumsy raiders who are easy to defeat in combat? I don't think so" Ensui pointed out to the chubby man. "And besides, if there is someone who knows about the whereabouts of the commanders, it is the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts. Only they know where they are being held" the Nara clansman told his comrades.

"The all of you know why we must pursue Sasuke. Not only because we were charged with oversseing his activities" Tatsuma said while adjusting his sunglasses. He seemed to be slightly angered right now and it surprised his comrades. "I can't forgive the Crimson Dragon for ruining Shino and Umeko's wedding day. My fellow Aburames may have done that, but I still have an urge to make him pay for his transgressions" Tatsuma then told him why he was intending on confronting this Crimson Dragon.

Tokuma smiled and even put a hand on the Aburame's shoulder. "If I help you on that, will you help me on getting back at Toneri Otsutsuki for his capture of my brothers and sisters in the Hyuuga clan? I also want someone to pay for his transgressions" the young man asked him.

Tatsuma nodded his head at him weakly in return. "Absolutely" he told him in return.

"Well then, shall we follow them and see where that gets us?" Ensui asked his friends and both Tatsuma and Tokuma seemed to be in favor of this suggestion, as Shito was still feeling reluctant about going along with this plan. But they were going on with it and it made Shito sigh in defeat. "Perfect! Then what are we waiting for? Let's go and follow those guys!" he then exclaimed before heading out to the shack city.

However, a small group of Grim Guard members were now tailgating the members of the Shadow Squad. Or to put in another way, Nejiri, Ittetsu and Sari were following Komaza, who had managed to eavesdrop on the members saying something about where to find the commanders.

"Hold on just a sec there, Komaza! Wait up!" Nejiri told his cousin while running after him. "Why are you following them!?" he asked him once again.

Komaza stopped running and turned around to face his fellow members of the Grim Guard. "Duh, because it's painfully obvious that the only ones who knows about where Commander Baki and the others are being held captive, are those hooded terrorists!" he replied to his cousin before refocusing on following the Shadow Squad members. "Try stopping me if you want, but I'm not gonna listen to you. I wanna do something to make up for my mistakes for once!" Komaza then said, signalizing his intent to go and follow Sasuke.

"He may have a point in those hooded terrorists knowing about where Lord Baki and Yutaka are holed up. But we must take great caution. These guys are stronger than us" Sari told her comrades as they followed the repulsive young man.

"We don't have to fight them. All that matters now, as is that we figure out where our commanders are. Then, thing will start getting better" Ittetsu said to her with a cunning smile.

* * *

 _Near a bar, shack city_

Sasuke Uchiha was wandering through the filthy streets roamed by thugs and ruffians alike. So far, none of them had decided to pay any attention to him. But Sasuke had managed to bump into some of them on the way, yet when they tried to confront him about it, Sasuke's Sharingan managed to intimidate and scare them away. But he could care less about those drunken fools. Right now, he had to find the one he had been hoping to fight in battle once again.

"These streets are endless. It appears that I may have to search from the rooftops to get a better viewpoint" Sasuke noted before jumping up to the roof of one of the shack houses. It was quite big, and it towered the smallest of the shack houses. Surveying the dirty cityscape, Sasuke came to notice a certain building which piqued his interest. He was watching a big building standing by the cliff, thus overlooking the shack city. Beside this building, there appeared to be a water tower standing. From what Sasuke could tell, this building seemed to be some kind of a bar and it convinced Sasuke that it was perhaps a good idea to start investigating there. "Looks like a good place to start….for now" the raven-haired man noted and he proceeded to launch himself from the shack house to another shack house, until he reached the bar.

Sasuke noticed that the building itself was made out of wood material and he could see that on the bar's walls and door. He could even see that it had its own balcony, with a lantern hanging by. Sasuke brushed off the dust on his cape of cloth before entering the building. He knew that given the loud and messy atmosphere, this bar would be stuffed with people inside. And it turned out he was right.

The moment, Sasuke entered the wooden building, he was entering what appeared to be a pig pen filled with drunken ruffians singing, dancing or drinking. Music was being played and all the tables and seats he could see in the room was occupied. The stench was also noticeable. Even now, Sasuke could smell tobacco and drugs in the air and it made him sick to his stomach. These people were truly living their life, in a senseless and twisted way.

Without bumping into either a raider or the "waitresses" that worked in this bar, Sasuke headed towards the counter, where he could see a bartender standing there, preparing drinks for the customers. But he was not the only one. Standing beside it was a couple of bandits, who seemed to act like guards. They also supposedly owned the place.

Sasuke stood right before the counter to face the bartender, who was surprised, as he had seen someone like Sasuke before. "W-who are…...you?" he asked while feeling uncomfortable as Sasuke's Sharingan was locked upon him.

Before Sasuke could continue conversing with the bartender, someone was firmly grabbing the raven-haired man by his right arm. This made Sasuke eye sideways as it was one of the bandits who were holding onto him. He did not seem happy for some reason.

"Hey! Who the hell do you think you are!? This bar is our turf! So beat it, punk!" the bandit told Sasuke without any pleasantries in his voice. "What are you, deaf or something!? I told you to beat it or else I'll…." The bandit was in for a surprise when he was hit in the face by an empty glass. It was Sasuke who had slammed this glass at him. The glass shattered into many pieces and the bandit got them all over his face, including his eyes. He was bleeding seriously. "AAAAAAAAAARRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH! MY EYES! MY EYES!" the bandit yelled as he fell onto his knees.

Sasuke showed no remorse for what he just did and simply glared at the bleeding bandit with cold eyes. "Hmmm…...that will teach you not to touch any strangers" he noted. But Sasuke knew that he was now in a conflict zone.

The other bandit standing by the counter had watched his comrade getting a glass smashed into his face with outrage. He had drawn out his katana and prepared to charge towards Sasuke with all his might. He angrily yelled as he ran for Sasuke's head.

"SON OF A BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU, COCKSUKCER!" the other bandit yelled and was about to swing his blade, yet he was no match for Sasuke's good reflexes. Before the bandit could land a blow, Sasuke drew his own blade, thus clashing with the bandit's. But given his fast speed and incredible strength, Sasuke manage to disarm the bandit, but not only by tossing away the sword. Five seconds after, the bandit's right hand was cut loose, thus bleeding seriously. "AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!" the bandit yelled in agony while falling onto his knees, yet as he glanced up at Sasuke, he froze. Sasuke's intimidating stare made the bandit flee from the fight like a coward.

Sasuke was not impressed with the bandits so far. "Tch, these bandits are pathetic. No wonder why it only took a tsunami to help them capture the ANBUs" he said before turning his attention on the bartender once again. He was getting really uncomfortable by just looking at Sasuke's gaze. "Now then, you're gonna tell me everything you know. Where is the hideout of the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts?" Sasuke asked him with no kindness.

The bartender had to admit he was slightly confused when hearing this. "W-w-what? B-b-but I thought you were the Crimson Dragon!" he spoke up.

Hearing his answer only infuriated Sasuke and he was about to make a move on the bartender until his instincts told him something. With quick reflexes, Sasuke moved to the left side, thus avoiding being hit by the kunai that was headed straight towards him. Instead of Sasuke getting hit by the kunai as it was supposed to, it hit the bartender in his left eye, causing him to scream in pain and agony.

"AAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the bartender yelled with the kunai stuck in his left eye. He fell onto the floor.

Turning around, Sasuke noticed that the majority of the bandits in the bar were now directing their hostility towards him. They had pulled out their weapons and had formed a human wall that prevented Sasuke from escaping the bar. The raven-haired man knew that a bar brawl was about to take place here. Things would get ugly.

"Fuck! I missed him!" the bandit with the eyepatch who had thrown the kunai cursed at his fail. But he quickly shrugged it off and picked up a kanabo. "No matter, we got him now, boys! That fucker ain't going nowhere!" he said to his friends.

"Yeah, let's kill him for barging into our hangout uninvited!" another bandit carrying a set of shuriken said.

Sasuke was secretly growling on the inside by seeing this. Yet he remained prepared for combat, not willing to let these drunkards stand in his way of finding the Crimson Dragon.

"You want my head? Come and get it!" Sasuke dared them, eventually narrowing his crimson eyes. "But know this! There won't be a funeral held for any of you scumbags! Die as the worthless thugs as you are!" he continued taunted the bandits, probably in an effort to provoke them.

The crowd of bandits were about to charge towards him, yet the unpredictable happened right before them, at the entrance to the bar. An explosion appeared and it sent most of the bandits flying in the air. Sasuke had to be surprised when seeing this, as he wondered who would pull something like that. The smoke soon cleared and he was being treated to the toothy grin belonging to Suigestu.

"Hey Sasuke! Mind if we tag along!?" Suigetsu asked while Sasuke took notice of more people he knew standing in the bar. Ino, Sai, Yamato, Karin and Juugo had entered as soon as the explosion had gone off. Suigetsu continued to grin at Sasuke. "I'm hurt and disappointed in ya. How could you have this little charade without inviting me? Talk about being a jerk" the white-haired man told him.

Sasuke was not amused. "Drop the nice-guy act, Suigetsu! What the hell did you just do!?" he asked his former partner-in-crime before turning his attention to his other friends. "And why are you following me here? I told you that you were free to do whatever you wanted" Sasuke asked them as his anger had slowly ebbed out.

"I just used a kunai-bomb to bust this place open. But we did witness you fight those two at the counter before deciding to blow it up. I mean, those bandits were blocking your path, weren't they?" Suigetsu said before turning around to see the damage he had caused. He whistled in amazement as he saw there were small signs of fire and smoke left of the explosion. "Woah…looks like I messed up the entrance pretty good. Guess the bill's gonna be on me" he then said sarcastically.

"That was uncalled for, Suigetsu" Juugo lowly remarked in annoyance from hearing this.

"We know what your plans are, Sasuke" Ino suddenly spoke up while glancing at him directly. "You plan on finding the Crimson Dragon and kill him, don't you?" she then asked him.

Hearing this caused Sasuke to scowl at her in return. "Damn it, Ino! I don't have time for this non-violence bullshit! The fate of my clan's legacy rests on my shoulders. I can't rest until I have gotten rid of that false Uchiha!" he snapped before turning around to face the counter, not wanting to speak to Ino or any of his friends again.

In the minute Sasuke did that, he was interrupted by a familiar voice calling to him. It made Sasuke snap in shock, his crimson eyes widening. The voice had haunted Sasuke's mind since that fateful day at the wedding. And now, he was finally hearing it again.

"A fake Uchiha you say…that's a false assumption on your part!" the voice came from none other than the Crimson Dragon himself. All this time, he had in fact been hiding in the bar, although by standing on something not even the raiders would bother look for: on the beams hanging high in the room. He gazed down upon Sasuke, his Sharingan completely focused upon the raven-haired man. Jumping off the beams, the Crimson Dragon landed right behind Sasuke, aiming a crossbow at him. The tip of the arrow was just poking his back.

"Sasuke!" Ino yelled in shock over what she was seeing.

"How…..when did he…" Sai asked in shock over seeing his comrade being held hostage by someone with a crossbow.

Yamato looked up, noticing the beams near the room's ceiling. They were just large enough for a person to hide on. "The beams…..of course…..that explains how he was able to conceal himself from everyone" the brown-haired man remarked.

Karin was getting very nervous by seeing Sasuke in trouble. "Juugo! Suigetsu! Do something!" the redhead commanded them.

Before they could even make a move, someone was appearing down the stairs and walking in the room. They were the cohorts of the Crimson Dragon: the Azure Dragon and the Ebon Dragon. Now, all three hooded terrorists were now present. The Azure Dragon and the Ebon Dragon were no forming a shield, thus blocking Sasuke's friends from reaching over to save him from the Crimson Dragon.

"All of you, stay where you are! I don't wanna see any of you move a muscle!" the Azure Dragon said before reaching for something. He was now pulling out his trident-like sword: Narumi. "Don't make me use my sword to force you to stand still. Narumi can be quite dangerous, just so you know" he then told them with sarcasm in his voice.

But Suigetsu's purple eyes widened as he got a glimpse of the trident-like sword. It was sparkling with lightning. "That blade…what the fuck….." he cursed lowly before turning his attention to the Azure Dragon. "Hey you! Who the hell are you!? And how dare you carry that blade!? It doesn't belong to you!?" Suigetsu snapped at the hooded man.

"For your information, that blade actually DOES belong to me! It's a family heirloom. Unusually sloppy of you to say that….Suigetsu" the Azure Dragon told the white-haired man, who froze when he could hear that he even knew his name.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was still having an arrow pointed at him, yet it didn't take long before the Crimson Dragon finally spoke up. "Turn around…" he demanded him.

Sasuke did as he requested, thus standing face to face with the man he had been having nightmares about recently. The raven-haired man gritted his teeth in anger. "Who are you…" Sasuke spoke up lowly before getting more frustrated by the hooded man's silence. "JUST WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" he then angrily asked him.

The Crimson Dragon's own Sharingan narrowed as he was being asked about this. Using his left hand, he slowly began removing his black hood, thus revealing his true identity for everyone, more specifically Sasuke. "You have no idea...do you, Sasuke?" the man spoke up as his face was finally revealed for Sasuke to see. Sasuke's own Sharingan widened and the young man froze. Standing before him now was a young man near Sasuke's age. He had the same color of hair as him and Itachi. The hairstyle was similar to Sasuke's own, except that it was more spikier and had a bang running between his eyes and ending just over his nose. Bot running across his nose and cheekbones was a scar. While bearing some resemblance to Iruka Umino's own, it seemed more critical and exposing. The man's moth was also similar to that of Sasuke and Itachi…as if he was related to them by blood.

Sasuke had been too stunned to speak up, yet once he looked past the scar running across the man's face and the angry crimson eyes, he could see how that person really was. Sasuke was shocked, filled with disbelief in seeing the one who was standing before him.

"It can't be…Saizo?" Sasuke finally uttered out a name he had not recalled since his childhood. "Saizo….…..is that really you…..is that really you….cousin?" he asked, his crimson eyes even starting to have small tears falling.

"Don't call me by that name so easily! You of all people should know who I am!" Saizo spat, his anger never burning out. "After all these years…you dare show those tears before me!?" he angrily asked Sasuke once again.

Sasuke was no longer feeling like his normal self. He was filled with so many questions and his mind was swirling in thoughts. "But how…you died…of an illness…..you died…I was at your funeral!" Sasuke then spoke up, demanding to know how Saizo had been alive all these years when he had died many years ago due to an illness.

Hearing his answer caused Saizo angrily grab Sasuke by his collar. Their Sharingans met one another once again. "You damn fool…...YOU FUCKING BELIEVE IN THAT BULLSHIT-STORY YOUR PARENTS TOLD YOU! I NEVER DIED OF AN ILLNESS! AND THE SAME THING CAN BE SAID FOR MY MOTHER!" he lashed out against his cousin, his grip on the collar tightening. "We never died during the Uchiha Clan Massacre Itachi committed….and do you know why!? Because we were killed…..murdered, beaten, drowned and left to die….BY YOUR FATHER!" he angrily yelled while revealing the harsh truth to Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes were filled with disbelief. He could not believe what his cousin had just been saying. "No…..NO….YOU'RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE!" Sasuke yelled back at Saizo. "FATHER ACCEPTED YOU AND AUNT AKIHIME AS FAMILY! HOW THE HELL WOULD YOU EVER COME UP WITH SUCH A…." Sasuke was interrupted by a hard punch to his face coming from Saizo. This sent him flying towards the shelf of drinks behind the counter. It caused many bottles to fall and shatter, with Sasuke getting some wine on his clothes.

Saizo glared at his cousin sitting by the broken shelf. "You're just as pathetic and contemptable as your father! I can see that by noting how you've inherited his stupidity and ignorance! To think someone as cowardly as him was the head of the Uchiha clan. Pitiful" he spoke with venom in his voice directed towards Sasuke. He then turned his attention to his comrades who were preventing Sasuke from going any further.

Yamato's eyes widened in astonishment. "I don't believe it….so the rumors about the Uchiha sacrifices…weren't speculation at all…" he noted warily.

Ino looked to him. "You also knew about those ideas, Yamato?" she asked him to which he nodded weakly at her in return.

"That's right. Before the Uchiha Clan Massacre, there existed rumors that the Leaf Police Force, which was under the control of Sasuke's father Fugaku Uchiha, launched a campaign to get rid of those Uchihas who were deemed unfit to contribute to their cause. This also happened at the time when the Uchiha clan was planning a coup d'état against the Leaf Village. As such, they couldn't risk being weakened by those they considered frail and weak" Yamato quickly filled in on what he knew about those rumors, even though Ino possessed some knowledge of that herself.

"Then it seems that those weren't rumors or speculations at all" Sai said before glancing at Saizo. "They really happened. But the question is…how is he still alive?" the pale-skinned man wondered.

Saizo only smirked when seeing the Leaf shinobis standing there. "Heh, I take it you're surprised to see me standing here, aren't you Leaf shinobis. Well guess what. Saizo Uchiha is alive! The opposite of what you all are about to be: dead!" he told them.

Ino narrowed her eyes as she faced the twisted Uchiha in the middle. "How exactly did you survive?! Did Madara Uchiha or Orochimaru play a part in that role!?" she asked him.

Hearing her asking him this made Saizo filled with outrage. He even pointed his fingers towards her, his black flames soon enveloping on it. "Filthy bitch! You dare suggest that to me!? I was never helped by that idealistic fool or that fucking pedophile you call a Saanin!" he told her with such vulgarity that it astounded Ino. Saizo soon formed a psychotic grin while facing her. "All that I have to thank for keeping me alive…is the Black Flame itself! I alone have unlocked the ability to master it. For that, I will always be indebted to the Black Flame" he then told Ino while watching the black flames burn on his fingers.

While Suigetsu was shocked over seeing that Sasuke's cousin was the one causing trouble, he still wanted to know who this Azure Dragon really was. Drawing his blade, Kubikiribōchō, Suigestu pointed it at the hooded man. The Azure Dragon was taking notice of it and he had to chuckle in amusement.

"What's so damn funny?!" Suigetsu barked while not getting why this man was doing that to him.

"You ask me why? It's just the fact that how some dumbass like you are worthy of carrying Kubikiribōchō. You don't even live up to Zabuza Momochi's legacy…and neither that of your older brother: Mangetsu" the Azure Dragon spoke up, once again taunting and insulting Suigetsu.

The white-haired man was growing very tired over this. "Quit spewing these bullshit-comments on me! Who the fuck are you!? And how do you know my name…and my brother's for that matter!?" Suigetsu demanded an answer out of him.

The Azure Dragon shrugged his shoulder while using his free hand to remove the hood, thus exposing his identity to Suigetsu and the others. Suigetsu's violet eyes widened in astonishment from what he was seeing. He was seeing the face of a young man with blonde hair that reached to his shoulders. He had a handsome feature on his face, not to mention his fiery orange eyes. The blonde-haired man smirked while seeing Suigetsu's reaction.

"No way…NO FUCKING WAY!" Suigetsu asked while he was in disbelief over whom he was looking at right now. "Nagisa Sorui….you were supposed to dead! Mangetsu won against you in a combat! But how are you…" Suigetsu was interrupted by the voice of the blonde-haired man.

"Spare me your stupidity, Suigetsu! You think that Mangetsu could best the man closest to the seas!? You are grievingly mistaking, punk!" Nagisa rebuked Suigestu before pointing his trident-like blade towards him. "He foolishly underestimated me and the powers Narumi possessed! That only lead to him in failing to defeat me…..as well as his premature death" the blonde-haired man then said while grinning psychotically at Suigetsu.

Suigetsu's violet eyes snapped once again. He clutched his blade and faced Nagisa's orange yes directly. "You were the one, weren't you!?" he then asked while preparing to go against this man. "You were the one responsible for Mangetsu's death!" he then spat at Nagisa.

"I'm every bad day you ever had, Suigetsu. A shame that you forsook the Mist Village for that creep Orochimaru. Hopefully, he must have given you some form of education given how stupid you are. Or did he just treat you as his sex toy and experiment with your body?" Nagisa poked fun at Suigetsu once again, thus enraging.

"You arrogant son of a bitch…I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOUR ASS!" the white-haired man yelled.

But Nagisa only sighed in annoyance and began facing his teammates. "Can we hurry this up? I really stand looking at that premature fish-monkey" the requested of them.

"All in due time, partner" Saizo said before glancing over to the Ebon Dragon. "Don't you have something you wanna show them?" he asked the muscular man in black hood who had only been standing still while folding his arms.

"Tch, I don't see what purpose it will serve, but what the hell. They may as well know who I am" the Ebon Dragon said while removing the black hood. Everyone could now see who that man really was. It was a black-skinned man with golden eyes, bald head and black facial hair.

"Wait! I've seen that man before" Sai told his comrades. "From what the files tell me…he is from the Hidden Cloud Village…..but he comes from a very important lineage" the pale-skinned man added to his explanation.

"An important linage…but that means" Yamato faced the muscular man. "You're one of the refugees of the Sado clan. The same clan that was exiled after planning a coup d'état against the Raikage. What are you doing here?" he then asked the tall man.

"I'm no under no obligation to answer you, Leaf Village dog! But I'll give you and your partners points for figuring out which clan I come from. I'm Hiruko Sado, younger brother of the late clan head who died during the duel against that bastard A: Hyakushige Sado" the tall man introduced himself.

As Sasuke's friends were dealing with this trio of terrorist whose identities were now exposed, Sasuke himself was now trying to get up, the raven-haired man getting a glimpse of seeing the man who was technically the last living relative of his. It made him filled with so many thoughts, among them how Saizo came to hate him.

"Why Saizo….why?" Sasuke uttered out lowly.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: That was a great chapter! We now know the identity of those three hooded terrorists. They are as follows.**

 **Crimson Dragon – Saizo Uchiha**

 **Azure Dragon – Nagisa Sorui**

 **Ebon Dragon – Hiruko Sado**

 **And now for how I came up with some of these names. All of you may know that Sasuke is named after the real-life shinobi Sasuke Sarutobi. Well, Saizo is named after Saizo Kirigakure, who was also a real-life shinobi. Nagisa is a Japanese word that is often associated with beaches and shores. His surname, however, is the Japanese word for seagrass. For those of you who have read A New Genertaion, you may have figured out how I came up with the Sado clan and all. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I won't spoil what will happen next.**


	19. A Line in the Sand

**Author's note: WARNING: This chapter will continue with Sasuke's mission while battling the one who is truly the Crimson Dragon. For those of you who have not read the previous chapters, I suggest you do so. It's because from now on, those hooded terrorists will be referred to by their true names. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: A Line in the Sand**

 _Inside a broken house, Island of Tides_

This shack city existed inside the tall and imposing mountain that stood on the Island of Tides. Here, the many raiders, pirates, crooks and rouge ninjas had made it their home, free from the clutches of the unforgiving world outside the mountain. Right now, the freed shinobis of the Triple Entente were on a mission to find and locate the captured commanders. Having been captured by the raiders after a tsunami had struck upon their ship, the allied shinobis were still not giving up on their quest to find the source of this unfamiliar Chakra, as well as apprehend the three hooded terrorists that had made quite a reputation for themselves in the criminal underworld, as well as in the public. But then again, those three needed to be stopped, as they had nothing but dangerous intentions for shinobis and non-shinobis alike.

Inside one of the many crowded shack houses that dotted this underground landscape, several elite members of the Sand Village's Grim Guard were being held as captives. They were Yutaka, Satetsu, Isago and Maki. Ever since they narrowly managed to survive the tsunami, Yutaka, who was the Grim Guard's second-in-command, and the three members was caught by raiders. They didn't know where Baki had been taken to, yet they knew he was also held somewhere in this shack city.

"This is embarrassing, how did we end up getting chained like prisoners?" Isago wondered, the young man still not believing the situation they found themselves in.

"I know. And worst of all, they have taken Commander Baki someplace else!" Yutaka lamented to herself. "Who knows what these creeps will do to him! It's all my fault for being so negligent with these raiders" the young woman added to her statement.

Satetsu simply smiled at her, and so did Isago and Maki. Yutaka couldn't but to wonder why they were doing that. But something told her to see this as looks of reassurance. They didn't want her to lose hope yet.

"Don't put all this burden on your shoulders alone, Yutaka. None of us had ability to predict what cowardly tactics these raiders would resort to. And more importantly, it's too soon to write off Commander Baki as if he's dead. All of us know what a spectacular man he actually is, beneath his cold disguise" Satetsu told Yutaka, the baldheaded man also reassuring that the others listened as well.

"You're right. I shouldn't underestimate Commander Baki so easily!" Yutaka said, thus taking back what she just said. "We all gotta have faith in him, as well as the other members of the Grim Guard and those of the Shadow Squad and Divine Division as well. As a matter of fact, now that there aren't any guards in here, let's say we plan on freeing ourselves from these Chakra chains?" she then suggested to her comrades.

"Spoken like a true optimist, Yutaka. I admire your willpower. This must be the reason why Lord Gaara appointed you to be our second-in-command" Maki commented her, although the young woman began gushing in embarrassment over hearing the kunoichi say that to her.

"Maki, please…..." Yutaka told her.

"But how do we get out of these chains?" Isago suddenly asked those around him while studying these chains that were holding them. "Somehow, I doubt these chains won't break if we even tried to. There's Chakra flowing through them" the baldheaded man then remarked in astonishment.

"If we can't break them, then there must be a key in here somewhere. Which may be held by one of these raiders…" Satetsu stated while slowly slumping in defeat when thinking about the fact that they were alone in this shack house right now.

While realizing how challenging it was to free themselves, they were stunned once they could hear clashes coming from outside the shack house. It made them all cautions. Was there a fight happening outside right now? The members of the Grim Guard wanted to know the answer. But soon, the answer came right to them.

The door to the shack house suddenly busted and a raider was sent flying to the air, until he crashed against the rusty wall. From the looks of it, this raider had been knocked out unconscious by someone. The Sand shinobis could see who it was that had done that. It was Shira, Yome and Sen, three members of the Grim Guard. The trio had been stunned to see Yutaka and the elite members in chains.

"Lieutenant Yutaka! As well as you elite guards" Shira said as he and the two kunoichis followed him to the chained shinobis. "Thank God, you're all safe. We had all started to worry if something had happened with you while we were separated" the calm-mannered man expressed his relief while noticing the Chakra chains that bound them. "Sen, Yome, see if you can find any keys on that raider. He was seen patrolling in this street" Shira told them.

"Shira! We're so glad that you're free! How did you escape?" Yutaka was filled with many questions.

Shira smiled at her softly. "I'll answer them along the way. Right now, our priority should be freeing you and finding the whereabouts of Commander Baki. The members of the Divine Division and the Shadow Squad are already doing their own search as we speak" he then told Yutaka, who immediately nodded her head at him in agreement.

Meanwhile, some members of the Divine Division had successfully managed to their second-in-command: the swordsman Hyozan Ishiwata. They had to their utter disgust found the swordsman being held prisoner in a hole in the ground. A grate lock was used as a door. It was disgusting and the swordsman was furious and on the verge of throwing up.

"MY…GOD…THAT…WAS…HORRIBLE!" Hoyzan stated while angrily picking up his scythe-like blade for his subordinate to see. He had been unable to use it during his captivity. "I will make these raiders pay for what they did by letting Onimaru taste their blood!" the grey-haired man then exclaimed loudly in pride while feeling vengeful.

Ganryu, Kiri, Ruka, Gonbe and Heki all watched their second-in-command freak out with not-so-enthusiastic reactions. They had expected a more suitable reaction from him. But then again, Hyozan soon came back to his senses, acting mature and calculating towards his subordinates once again.

"So let me get this straight. You say you along with many of our allies were freed by Sasuke Uchiha?" Hyozan suddenly quizzed them while raising an eyebrow.

Ruka nodded her head with a smile. "Yes. We were held prisoners in a ship graveyard on the shores of the island. It was from there were we discovered the lift that took us up high and into this shack city" the kunoichi told him while pointing a finger at the lift, which could be seen running over the shack city. "Incredible how common thugs like these managed to make this their own bastion of activity" she then remarked while seeing the lift.

Hyozan had to whistle in amazement when hearing her explanation. "Wow. That sounds amazing. But let us continue after we've located where Commander Shachi is. Both of us were separated once we were brought into this stinking place as prisoners. And as such, they held me imprisoned in the ground. Damn how humiliating" he lamented it while rubbing his face. "And speaking of which…...where are those three newcomers?" Hyozan then asked them sternly.

"You mean Suigetsu Hozuki and his accomplices? They were also locked up in the ship graveyard along with us. But where they went after arriving here, we can't be sure" Ganryu answered him honestly. "However, we did overhear them saying that they would be following Sasuke. We don't know what his motives are, but it seems to us that he's trying to find the Crimson Dragon" the swordsman continued with his answer.

"What!?" Hyozan asked before grumbling to himself in anger. He was about to go and search for those three, only for a horde of raiders to come barging towards them. The grey-haired man sighed in irritation. "Let's just get this over with! After we're done with these, we are to search the shack city for those three and Commander Shachi. We can't afford to waste time here!" he then commanded them to which all shinobis nodded their heads in response.

Meanwhile, Ibiki Morino and Asami Nakano had been holed up in a wooden tower. Yet they were freed thanks to the efforts of the Shadow Squad and the Interrogation Squad. Since being freed, the group were now fighting with some of the raiders in the filthy streets. So far, they had proven to be resilient. But that meant nothing to Ibiki or Asami.

"Come here and fight us, you cowardly pigs!" Ibiki taunted them as bloods and guts were spilled, with the raiders taking much of the casualties. "You thought you could imprison and torture me: Ibiki Morino!? Wrong! Your torture was nothing like I've ever faced before!" the stern-headed man continued this verbal attack on the raiders that were approaching the group.

"They just keep coming" Asami noted after finishing taking out a violent raider. "But we can't remain here forever. We have to find where they're holding Commander Yugao captive" the teal-haired woman noted before she could notice one of the raiders trying to make a run for it. She smirked as her eyes were locked on him. "I'll extract some information from that fleeing thug. He seems to know more than what he can chew. Kotetsu, Izumo, Mozuku. Let's go and have some a "word" with that crook. And trust me, we won't kill him" she then called three members of the Interrogation Squad to follow her as they began pursuing the fleeing raider.

Ibiki mused to himself while jokingly waving his hand at them. "Have fun!" he told them. The stern-headed man then made sure his associates were gathered around for a little chat amongst themselves. "Shimon, Tonbo, Mawashi, Iwashi. I want you all to be honest with me here and now. Is it true what you're saying? Was it Sasuke who freed you in the ship graveyard?" he then asked his subordinates seriously.

All of them gulped when hearing the tone of Ibiki's voice. From what they could tell, he was sort of displeased over hearing the fact that the one who had been responsible for saving them, which only helped them in saving Ibiki and the other commanders, was an ex-criminal. They also knew that Ibiki would hate to feel indebted to someone like Sasuke.

"Yes, he did save us" Shimon finally answered his superior, still feeling slightly uncomfortable when telling him this. "But rest assured, Sasuke was acting in good faith when doing that. If not for him, we would've all been stuck in the ship graveyard as prisoners. He had to do that. It was part of his verdict, after all" the gloomy man then added to his answer.

"Shimon speaks the truth" Tonbo spoke up, although the bandaged man felt somewhat reluctant to speak up his mind. "Sasuke also rescued other members of the Grim Guard and the Divine Division. Together, we found a way into this mountain and discovered this shack city" he went on telling his superior what they had been through.

Despite hearing what Shimon and Tonbo told him, Ibiki was far from enthusiastic in hearing their story. He soon noticed that something else was also missing, so he decided to ask his comrades one again. "Which reminds me, Ino was also freed by Sasuke, am I right?" the Commander of the Interrogation Squad firmly asked his superiors while wanting an answer out of them. "Where is she?" Ibiki finally laid the question at the end.

All his subordinates snapped, realizing how he would react if he knew where his most favorite subordinate had run off to. It became clear that Iwashi was the one who felt like telling his boss the truth. Lying to THE Ibiki Morino would only jeopardize yourself. All the members of the Interrogation Squad knew that.

"Well, you see…Sasuke said he wanted to go after this Crimson Dragon and find his whereabouts. Thus, he encouraged all of us to do whatever we wanted, as long as we didn't get caught once again. And that was fine enough." Iwashi began with his answer, feeling slightly uncomfortable as Ibiki glanced at him with his stern eyes. "But Ino stubbornly insisted on going after Sasuke. From what we know, she felt like it was her duty to watch over his actions, including making sure he didn't do anything stupid. She even cited her membership in the Interrogation Squad as a justification for doing this. And so…...Ino's currently tailing Sasuke as we…." Iwashi was interrupted when he could see an angry Ibiki kick a pile of scrap. It stunned his subordinates, none of them daring to say another word.

"She what!? Damn it all!" Ibiki cursed, not feeling very happy to hear what Ino was doing right now. "Why is she pursuing that cocky brat!? She should've been staying with you guys instead of him!" he then exclaimed, his outburst sending some fear into his subordinates.

"But Captain Ibiki…we're confident that Ino's safe as long as she's with…." Mawashi tried to ease Ibiki's concerns. But it didn't help him, as Ibiki angrily grabbed the four-eyed man by his collar which only made him snap in fear.

"It's not about that, Mawashi! Ino's pursuing of Sasuke will only lead her to the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts! She's not a member of the Shadow Squad. Who knows what those bastards will do to her!" Ibiki rebuked him.

"Okay, okay, I was just misspeaking! Chill the fuck down!" Mawashi tried to calm Ibiki down, even though he was not keen on listening to reason right now.

The members of the Interrogation Squad could see Ibiki vanish from the scene, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. They only stood and watched as the stern-headed man was starting a desperate search for his favorite subordinate. Asami, Kotetsu, Izumo and Mozuku arrived back, although they had also noticed Ibiki taking his leave so quickly.

"Why is Captain Ibiki so worked up?" Asami asked anyone.

"Let's just say that the captain just discovered something that really chapped his hide" Shimon told her, not wanting to tell Asami everything they knew. "Anyway, did you learn anything interesting from that raider you chased?" the gloomy man asked the Shadow Squad's second-in-command.

"Yeah. We managed to discover the whereabouts of Commander Yugao and her counterparts in the Grim Guard and the Divine Division" Asami revealed with a smug smile forming on her lips. "From what that scumbag was willing to tell us, the raiders have the them all tied up in a deep ravine somewhere in these caverns. But right now, they're basically hanging in the ravine, high above ground level" the teal-haired woman informed them, although she was now frowning when mentioning the ravine.

"A deep ravine? That's horrible. We need to inform our allies about this! Who knows what kind of danger they might be in" Tonbo suggested to his comrades and they all agreed on what he said.

"Then we may as well want to split up and search for the various groups. But be careful. This place is crawling with bandits and thugs alike. They are likely to suspect something's amiss" Shimon said, agreeing with what Tonbo just suggested.

"Sounds like a good start. In the meantime, if any of you see Hyozan or Yutaka, tell them that I need their help. We can't afford to lose more shinobi lives in this mission. The gutless bastards that live here will not be able to break us once again. The Triple Entente will show them that not even a tsunami can divide us!" Asami told them before she began jumping up to the nearest rooftop, in hopes of locating and requesting assistance from Hyozan or Yutaka.

* * *

 _Inside a bar overlooking the shack city_

Sasuke had been searching for the Crimson Dragon's whereabouts by asking the local bartender in a bar where the raiders hung out to drink and socialize. However, he got more than bargained for, as the Crimson Dragon eventually turned out to have hid himself above on the bar's beams near the ceiling. Once the time was right, he had caught Sasuke, and went on to reveal him his true identity. In the meantime, his cohorts had stepped in to deal with Sasuke's friends, who had followed him to this wooden building. They had kept Ino, Sai, Yamato, Suigetsu, Juugo and Karin in check while Sasuke had to deal with the Crimson Dragon, whose true identity stunned even Sasuke, and managed to bring him to tears.

The Crimson Dragon was no other than his long-deceased cousin: Saizo Uchiha. From what Sasuke knew, he had died of a terrible illness at an early age, along with his mother Akihime Uchiha, who was also Sasuke's aunt. Sasuke had been too confused to do anything, yet he had been punched in the face by Saizo and was now sitting by the broken bottles of wine and beer behind the counter. In the meantime, the Azure Dragon and the Ebon Dragon had also revealed their identities to them all and they turned out to be Nagisa Sorui and Hiruko Sado respectively. Suigetsu knew Nagisa as a shinobi back in the Mist Village and also the fact that he also joined the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, alongside Suigetsu and his older brother Mangetsu. Nagisu was supposed to have died during a duel with Mangetsu in which the latter emerged victorious. Hiruko, however, had no personal relationship to any of the shinobis standing before him. He was a member of the Hidden Cloud Village's Sado clan, and the younger brother of the clan head who had died during a duel against the Fourth Raikage.

Together, these three shinobis were known to have committed crimes in the shinobis underworld, as well as thriving on the human trafficking happening in the seas around the Five Great Elemental Nations. What motives they had, remained questionable.

Sasuke, who had come back to his senses, got off where he was sitting on and moved over the counter to face the trio, or perhaps more specifically Saizo. The Uchiha with the scar running across his face had taken notice of Sasuke moving, and was now looking over his shoulder at him. Saizo could see that Sasuke had activated his Sharingan and as such, both cousins were glancing at each other with crimson eyes.

"Hmmmm…...what a headache you're starting to become. Can't you just remain behind the counter!? I'm not interested in you at all!" Saizo spoke up, his voice filled with distaste over seeing Sasuke.

Sasuke proceeded to glare at Saizo, with him even starting to take some steps forward. The expression on Sasuke's face had changed drastically, as he was no longer sad. Rather, he was upset and slightly angered.

"Saizo…listen…...even though I'm speaking to you for the first time after so many years…...I still remember the words you told me back in the Leaf Village days ago, during your wedding crash. I now also know of your actions throughout the world…...including what happened in the apartment near the Great Naruto Bridge" Sasuke said while drawing out his sword, brandishing it for Saizo to see. "They were unforgivable…...even to my own eyes. You shouldn't have dragged in so many Leaf villagers and other innocent if your vendetta was only against me!" Sasuke said, recalling what he had seen before coming face to face with the man under the hood. Sasuke still remembered the drawing of the Uchiha clan symbol drawn in blood. It still haunted his mind as he recalled that experience.

Saizo narrowed his crimson eyes when hearing this. "Tch, you think I give a rat's ass about your opinions!? And do you really think I care about shinobis for that matter!?" Saizo angrily questioned Sasuke. "Well here's your answer! I don't give a fuck about you, the Uchiha clan or any others in that goddamned village or this fucked up world!" the spikey-haired man snapped at his cousin, who was only starting to feel anger as he heard what was being about their clan.

"Why do you keep talking trash about the Uchiha clan!? They were our family!" Sasuke spat out.

"You ungrateful piece of shit. You just don't get it!" Saizo muttered lowly before he unleashed his verbal attack upon. "I ALREADY TOLD YOU! I DIED AT THE UCHIHA CLAN'S HANDS! MY DEATH WAS ORCHRESTRATED BY BOTH YOUR FUCKING DAD AND HIS LAPDOGS! MEANWHILE, YOUR SLUT OF A MOM DID NOTHING BUT WATCH AND LET HER FAKE CROCODILE TEARS DEMONSTRATE HER IGNORANCE!" he angrily told Sasuke.

Sasuke could no longer stand hearing someone badmouth his family, especially his parents. "YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT THEM LIKE THAT! I'LL MAKE YOU STOP!" Sasuke hit back before he did some hand seals.

Unfortunately, Saizo was doing some hand seals as well. This only confirmed that the two Uchihas were about to perform something and those in the bar knew that things were about to get ugly.

"I sense a conflict brewing between the two of them" Hiruko noted as he began observing the way they were about to prepare themselves for combat. "With two powerful Uchihas such as these, chaos will be brought here" the black-skinned man then realized the situation.

"Aw crap! They're about to blow this place up! Let's get out of this shack, Hiruko!" Nagisa told his cohort and they both headed outside and past Sasuke's friends. Sasuke's friends could also see that those two were about go at each other and they quickly rushed out of the bar.

"Ummm…shouldn't we follow them?" Suigetsu quizzed while raising an eyebrow. But he soon got an answer from Karin, who angrily grabbed Suigetsu by his collar.

"OF COURSE, WE MUST, DUMBASS! LET'S GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!" the four-eyed woman cried as she could see how both Uchihas were planning on attacking each other.

"EVERYONE, OUT! THIS PLACE WILL FOR SURE EXPLODE!" Yamato exclaimed, even looking back to see how this fight would end.

Sasuke and Saizo faced each other, the two men prepared to give everything they had at each other. A duel between Uchihas was now on the rise and it was best to get away from them as far as possible.

"FIRE STYLE: UCHIHA GIANT FLAME!" the two men yelled together as they blasted giant fireballs that headed straight towards one another. But the moment these two fireballs collided, an enormous explosion took place inside the building.

The result caused the entire wooden building to explode into flames and Sasuke's friends were stunned to see what just happened. Pieces of burning wood were sent flying into different directions and they made sure to stay far away from the incineration. It was quite a blast.

"HOLY FUCKING ASSCRACKERS!" Suigetsu exclaimed loudly in disbelief. "WHAT THE HELL DID THEY JUST DO!? THEY JUST BLASTED THE WHOLE PLACE!" he then demanded an answer on what he was seeing.

"I don't know…...but that was one hell of an explosion…." Juugo remarked lowly, he too stunned in seeing this. "How could this explosion be that powerful?" the tall man then wondered.

"My guess would be that both Sasuke and "Saizo" performed a fire-based jutsu" Sai suggested to what he thought was the right conclusions. "And considering that there were already tons of alcohol inside the bar, it's no wonder why the entire building was burned to cinders" the pale-skinned man added, recalling what he had seen inside the bar, especially behind the counter.

"Well that explains the obvious" Suigetsu remarked before looking at the flames that had appeared in the wake of the explosion. "But the only question that remains, is whether either of them survived" the white-haired man suddenly came up with a new question.

The flames soon burned out, but it was for a good reason. Amidst the burning pieces of wood and the site of incineration, Sasuke and Saizo stood there, both Uchihas ready to face each other once again. But something else had changed drastically since they performed those attacks of theirs. Both Sasuke and Saizo had now activated their Mangekyo Sharingan. Sasuke's crimson eyes had that star-like figure, while Saizo's had those reptile-like eyes. Either way, those around him knew how things would only get uglier as they had just activated these terrifying versions of the Uchiha clan's Kekkei Genkai.

"I see that you have improved your skills, Sasuke. You're finally no longer reliant on someone like Orochimaru or Akatsuki to achieve power" Saizo surprisingly commended his cousin, yet Sasuke did not smile as a result.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes when hearing what he said. "Those days are all in the past. I no longer need any of them to make me stronger. I already have mastered the many techniques of the Uchihas, even the Amaterasu" he said, even forming a slight smirk underneath his lips.

"Hmmm…you don't need to remind me. I was able to get a good look at your talents during our previous encounter in the Leaf Village. But let me assure you, if this was all that you could muster" Saizo said before forming a deep frown with his mouth. "Then I am severely disappointed" he then finished his sentence.

Sasuke was enraged when hearing this coming from him. "SHUT UP!" Sasuke yelled as powerful lightning suddenly sparkled in the fingers of his right hand. He was now charging up the attack, preparing to strike at Saizo with one of his most recognizable abilities: the Chidori. "I don't know what made you succumb to this madness…BUT THERE IS NO WAY THAT MY FAMILY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR DEATH! AND I INTEND ON SILENCING YOU, ONCE AND FOR ALL! AAAAAAAAARRRGHHHHHHHH!" Sasuke yelled as he charged towards his opponent with his powerful Chidori in his right hand.

Saizo gritted his teeth in anger as he saw how Sasuke was still ignorant about his fate. But that didn't matter to him. If Sasuke wanted to challenge him, he would have to respond in kind. That was what Saizo himself came up with. Just as had gathered powerful Lightning Chakra in his right hand, Saizo also began doing something similar with his own. But what appeared on his right hand was not lighting. It was black flames!

"So you will attack me with a jutsu you learned from a mere copycat? This only shows how pathetic you've grown over the years, Sasuke!" Saizo taunted his cousin as black flames soon began enveloping on his right hand. Saizo grinned psychotically as the flames grew stronger. "Very well! Let me show you how I have mastered the secrets of the Black Flame itself! With it…...I'LL SEND YOU TO WHERE YOUR PATHETIC PARENTS AND BROTHER ARE RIGHT NOW!" he then madly exclaimed, feeling an intent on killing Sasuke with his unfamiliar attack of his.

While Sasuke had to be stunned when seeing this, he was not backing down from this challenge. No, he would fight Saizo, as he could not stand and let him insult his parents, as well as Itachi and the legacy he had left behind. It only made him more encouraged to end Saizo. Sasuke's anger was now unleashed, and there were no signs of him holding back now.

"YOU DON'T DESERVE TO SPEAK ABOUT MY PARENTS OR ITACHI WITH YOUR FILTHY MOUTH! I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET IT!" Sasuke yelled as he pushed the powerful Chidori against his opponent. "CHIDORI!" the raven-haired man yelled as he delivered this powerful attack consisting of Lightning Chakra.

"GIVE MY REGARDS TO HELL! KUROAGO!" Saizo yelled as he delivered his attack of black flames towards his opponent.

The moment these two attacks hit one another, a shockwave suddenly appeared throughout the cave, and it almost caused the cave itself to crumble. For those standing near the two battling Uchihas, it was as if they almost got blown off by the shockwave. It was just THAT powerful. Fortunately, they managed to hit the ground in time before it could hit them, although they could feel being moved by the shockwave's aftereffect.

"Such…destructive power…..." Juugo uttered out in astonishment as he got up on his knees. "I never imagined how Sasuke had become…this strong" he then admitted to those around. True, Juugo had known about Sasuke being one of the shinobis instrumental in ending the world war, but he had never expected him to become that powerful.

Suigetsu only grinned at Juugo smugly with his shark-like teeth. "You think that's all he got? Man, get ready to be surprised, Juugo. He's even more powerful than what you realize" the swordsman then insisted to his comrade.

"But…is the fight over…it did leave quite a shockwave" Ino wondered as the smoke soon began clearing out.

Karin had already tried to locate and measure Sasuke's Chakra. She soon smiled once she noticed a familiar Chakra she knew well. "Sasuke's still alive! I can tell it by sensing his Chakra!" Karin told those around her, only for the redheaded woman to freeze once she could noitice something else. Her eyes behind her glasses widened. "No…...but that other Uchiha…he's also breathing as well!" she then exclaimed out of fear.

Sasuke's friends were stunned to hear this and Karin's hypothesis turned out to be true as they could finally see the scene clearly. Both Sasuke and Saizo were standing there, holding their right hands together. While none of them had been injured, they had each received some bruises on their faces. Also, their right sleeves on their outfits had been torn off, leaving their right arms exposed. Both were panting while trying to overpower the other.

"You…..." Saizo said while gritting his teeth. "There weren't just lightning in that attack of yours, was it? Something else was in there!" he snapped at his cousin.

As Sasuke panted, he soon had to smile while continuing doing that. "You…...caught me" Sasuke said while using his free hand to show Saizo something. Small tints of black flame could be soon on his fingers. "I also had some tints of black flames combined with the Chidori, which explains why it was so powerful" the raven-haired man told him.

Still, Saizo remained far from impressed. "Tch, you got lucky" he said, although Sasuke could see that Saizo was starting to gradually show more hostility towards him. "As a matter of fact, you were always lucky, Sasuke. Being born to the Head of the Uchiha clan, as well as having an older brother whose wisdom equaled to that of a Kage, you really lived the easy life…." Saizo remarked.

Hearing this made Sasuke infuriated, and he proceeded to kick Saizo in the stomach, thus sending him a few feet backwards. While it was strong, it wasn't strong enough to land damage on Saizo's stomach.

"What do you know of my life?" Sasuke asked his cousin lowly before he finally raised the volume of his voice. "I JUST ASKED YOU, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW OF MY LIFE!? YOU WERE NEVER THERE WHEN IT ALL HAPPANED! THE MASSACRE, MY DEFECTION TO OROCHIMARU, MY BATTLE AGAINST ITACHI, MY MEMBERSHIP OF THE AKATSUKI, THE FOURTH SHINOBI WORLD WAR, YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT THEM!" Sasuke spoke up, yet he wasn't finished demanding some answers out of Saizo. "SO WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU KNOW OF THE PAIN I HAD TO ENDURE!?" he then asked his opponent.

Saizo had only remained quiet while hearing Sasuke's angry outbursts. To Sasuke's outrage, he merely chuckled in return. "Pain? You enduring pain?" Saizo asked Sasuke. "YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT PAIN!? YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT EVEN MEANS!?" Saizo told him before turning and putting off his hooded coat. Saizo was now showing his bare back to his cousin.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he could see what it was written on Saizo's back. It was a large Kanji which was written as a scar. From what Sasuke could see, the Kanji: 敗 was written on his back.

"Failure…" Sasuke uttered out as he read what the Kanji meant. Sasuke glanced at his cousin, the expression on his face filled with curiosity. "You…were a failure? I never knew that such things even existed in the Uchiha clan" he said lowly, his mind still confused by so many thoughts.

The others around him had also taken notice of the Kanji marked on Saizo's back. "A failure? So that mean Saizo was a failure in the Uchiha clan" Ino remarked as she stood beside Yamato and Sai. The blondie was suddenly reminded about something similar. "I don't know why I'm thinking this, but it seems like Saizo may have experienced a similar treatment as Hinata did. She was also considered a failure in her clan, remember" Ino then recalled on the painful past of Hinata.

"You're correct, Ino. Saizo was a failure like Hinata was once. But I'm afraid that's where the similarities between them end" Yamato told her before refocusing his attention on the Kanji behind Sasuke's back. "While Hinata was deemed unfit to be their heir, the Hyuuga clan never went to extreme measures such as killing her. With Saizo and the Uchiha clan, however, they did. The Uchihas were willing to go to any lengths to ensure that their clan was not weak and unprepared for their coup attempt, even if that meant…...taking the lives of other young Uchihas" Yamato explained, his voice grim as he recalled what he had read in the files.

"Truth be told, Saizo was not the only Uchiha in history to be deemed a failure" Sai spoke up in order to catch the attention of Ino and Yamato. "There was Obito Uchiha…...although their situations were rather…different" the pale-skinned man pointed out.

Yamato nodded his head in agreement. "Yes. But even so, there is still something that has been bothering me now since the Crimson Dragon's identity was revealed to be one of the Uchiha-sacrifices. And I am sure you also think of the same things" the brown-haired man told them. "Just how is Saizo still alive? For some reason…I don't sense any links between him and Orochimaru, or Madara Uchiha for that matter. Yes, the answers are clouded in mystery" Yamato admitted.

Saizo suddenly put on his hooded coat before turning around to face Sasuke. "You'll never understand the meaning of pain, Sasuke. But don't worry. I don't expect you to understand it either" the spikey-haired man told his cousin before revealing something on his exposed right arm. Once again, Sasuke became stunned when he could see what was written on Saizo's right shoulder. It was a Kanji written in black. From what he could see, it was the Kanji: 死, which stood for "death". "I have been dead before, which is why I will never fear it again! But you on the other hand will fear it. The power of the Black Flame shall see to that happen!" Saizo exclaimed before black flames suddenly began enveloping around him.

Sasuke knew what he was doing, yet he mustered enough courage to activate his own flames, and therefore his Susanoo. His violet flames began enveloping around him. "You leave me no choice, Saizo. I will have to take more drastic measures" he told his cousin as his figure started to take shape. "I WON'T LET YOU POISON ME ANY FURTHER!" the raven-haired man yelled out towards his opponent.

In the meantime, Saizo had activated his own Susanoo and his figure of black flames, dragon-like head and dragon wings began to take shape. Both his and Sasuke's were equal in size comparison, and carried swords, yet their armors were different from one another. But that didn't matter to either of the battling Uchihas. What only mattered was which one of them would emerge from this fight alive. Saizo took off, flying high above the shack city, only for Sasuke to chase him soon.

"I won't let you get away with this!" Sasuke said while gritting between his words.

Saizo remained far from intimidated when hearing Sasuke's determined voice. "Is that supposed to scare me!?" he asked incredulously before bursting out into laughter once again. "Idiot! It's me who should be saying this to you! Since your damned parents are dead, I'll satisfy my vengeance by taking you instead! That's what you'll never get away with!" Saizo then taunted Sasuke once again.

Hearing his parents being spoken about in such a negative manner, Sasuke unleashed his anger as his Susanoo charged towards Saizo's. Instead of avoiding it, Saizo decided to head straight towards Sasuke. Both giant figures of flames clashed against each other with their blades, thus sending shockwaves once again. But this time, it was in the air, so the people below them were spared for any troubles.

"Woah…this shit keeps getting better and better!" Suigestu exclaimed as he watched the clashes taking place above the shack city. He noticed that those with him were also focused on Sasuke, and this made Suigetsu plan a good joke. "Soooooo…...any of you guys up for a bet?" he then comically suggested to them.

"How about we have a bet on which is the better swordsman between the two of us!" Suigetsu and the other snapped and turned around as they could see who had just arrived out of hiding. It was Nagisa Sorui and Hiruko Sado, the two black-coated shinobis focusing their attention on the group before them. Nagisa held onto his trident-like sword and even began brandishing it for the white-haired man to see it in full display. "I still feel pissed over my loss to Mangetsu. So I'll redeem my defeat by eliminating you, inbred halfwit!" the blonde-haired man proudly boasted to himself.

As Nagisa was confronting the group, swirls of water were floating around him. At the same time, sparks of thunder could be seen on the trident itself. It surprised Sasuke's friends.

"How can he control water like this?" Sai wondered. "Doesn't he need to rely on a source of water nearby him?" the pale-skinned man asked Suigestu, thinking that he had some knowledge about this.

"Uh uh, it doesn't work that way, creamskin" Nagisa told Sai while giving him a nickname. "My blade is called Narumi. With it, I'm not only capable of carrying some sparks of lightning. I'm also capable of calling the water to my side whenever I please. Watch and learn, retards" he told them with his usual foulmouthed language before lifting Narumi up in the air before slamming its butt onto the ground of dirt.

The group watched as Nagisa's weapon shit out lightning up in the air. These lightnings hit the ground and the minute the blonde-haired man raised his trident-like sword in the air once again, water suddenly appeared out of these lightnings. It was quite a shocker for the group to see.

"I don't believe it!" Karin exclaimed. "He simply called forth the water to his side!" the redhead exclaimed while feeling incredibly surprised in seeing this.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Ino said, agreeing with Karin.

"Don't get so surprised by this" Suigetsu spoke up, the white-haired man simply poking his ears before drawing out his sword: Kubikiribōchō. "The ability to call forth water to his side, I've heard about it. It's sort of the signature ability of your clan, isn't it, Nagisa?" he smugly asked his fellow swordsman.

Nagisa simply smirked as the water continued to surround him. "So, it seems that your peanut-brain does seem to work. I'll give you points for that" the blonde-haired with orange eyes told Suigetsu before pointing the tips of his blade at him. "Given that you know of our ability to call forth water at will, you must've realized by now that we of the Sorui clan are the true masters of the seas! The Hozuki and Hoshigaki clans are only second-rate rulers!" he boasted proudly.

Suigetsu simply groaned in irritation over hearing this. "Yeah, yeah, I get it! Your family is great an all! Geez, you still haven't changed since we grew up together in the Mist Village" the lazy swordsman groaned, feeling tired over hearing the constant boasting Nagisa was known for.

The man with the trident simply formed a deep frown. "Is that so?" he simply asked before suddenly forming his mouth into a grin. "Then let me show you how I've improved! Water Style: Flowing Whip!" Nagisa yelled before forming a whip with the water that surrounded him. The whip headed straight towards Suigetsu, who remained still while preparing his combat.

Suigetsu charged straight towards his opponent, even heading for the water whip. But before the whip could even touch him, Suigetsu activated his Liquify Jutsu, thus passing right through the whip. He then proceeded to clash against Nagisa with their blades.

"Heh! Is that all you got!? I'm feeling sorry for you, Nagisa!" the white-haired man taunted his fellow swordsman.

"We have yet to get serious, Suigetsu. I was only holding back….as I always did during our fights!" Nagisa exclaimed before shoving Suigetsu with Narumi and piercing it through him. Suigetsu had already activated his Liquify Jutsu and the trident pierced through him like it didn't hurt. But Nagisa was not finished and even smirked. "Nice try, idiot! How about a shocker to refresh your memory!?" he told Suigetsu before unleashing lighting from his weapon and it began to shock Suigetsu for once. Considering that Suigetsu was now made out of liquid, lighting could injure him and so it did.

"Suigetsu!" Juugo called out and was about to intervene to help him, only for him and the other shinobis to notice the ground before them crumble. It was the work of Hiruko, who had just slammed his fist onto the ground, thus cracking it. The orange-haired man had to admit he was astounded by the level of strength Hiruko possessed. "What do you want?" Juugo wanted some answers out of the baldheaded man.

"I know there ain't any Cloud ninjas with you on this expedition of yours. But then again, I could really need a workout by taking out you guys" Hiruko said while facing Juugo, Yamato and Sai. He even readied his fighting stance in the process. "So let's spare a little, asswipes! I wanna show you how a Sado alone is capable of handling a giant monster, a creepy gay dude and a nasty stone face!" he then began taunting and daring the three.

Yamato frowned when hearing what he just said. "You really must be overconfident if you think you can handle three of us?" the brown-haired man remarked before drawing out a kunai. "But then again, I wouldn't have underestimated this guy. He's from the Sado clan, who are rumored to have distant blood relations to the Third and Fourth Raikages. One wrong move, and he could possibly kill us" Yamato then thought to himself while observing Hiruko cracking his knuckles.

"Clearly he must not be using his mind right" Sai suggested what was wrong with Hiruko.

"I don't care what's wrong with his guy" the voice came from Juugo who had just activated Sage Transformation and transformed his left arm into a giant axe. "I will teach this fool a lesson in humility. Prepare to be humbled!" Juugo exclaimed before charging straight towards Hiruko, who had not moved a muscle so far.

Rather, Hiruko had decided to make his stand against Juugo from where he stood. Raising his right fist in the air, the baldheaded man felt lightning envelop all across him, especially on his right hand. Hiruko smirked as his opponent neared him.

"You better hope you got good defense on you, boy! Because this attack will break more than your bones!" Hiruko loudly taunted Juugo, who was still charging towards him with his transformed left arm. As soon as Juugo neared him, Hiruko grinned before delivering his attack on the orange-haired man. "THUNDER HAMMMER!" he yelled before quickly slamming his empowered fist onto the ground.

Unfortunately for Juugo, the minute Hiruko slammed his fist one the ground, was also the same minute he tried to slash Hiruko. Therefore, the empowered fist landed right on Juugo's axe-like arm and Hiruko crushed it. Even though Juugo's arm had some protection thanks to this transformation of his, it wasn't strong enough to protect it against Hiruko's attack.

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Juugo cried in agony as Hiruko managed to break his left arm, despite its transformation. The orange-haired man fell onto his knees, holding into his broken arm as he felt how he could no longer feel his bones. But by being too distracted from the injury, Juugo left himself wide open for Hiruko, who used it to his advantage.

"LARIAT!" Hiruko yelled as he performed that move on Juugo, the orange-haired man too slow to activate his defenses. Juugo was sent flying into the air, until he crashed into a giant rock at the edge of the cliff. Hiruko only grinned to himself over seeing what he had accomplished. "Heh. One step closer to bust A's rotten ass! I like where this is going" he mused to himself.

Juugo was still alive and breathing, yet Hiruko's Lariat had left quite an impact on him. To him, it felt as if there was a hole on this stomach. Juugo could not help but to throw up a pool of blood as he started to feel how powerful that punch really was. As he struggled to get up, he could notice both Karin and Ino run towards him.

"JUUGO…OH MY GOD…ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?" Karin worryingly asked the orange-haired man as she could notice how Juugo clung onto his broken left arm. "YOUR LEFT ARM…..IT'S…." the redhead was so stressed out over seeing this.

"Relax, Karin! I've had worse injuries!" Juugo snapped to make Karin stop getting worked up. He panted while trying to catch his breath. "And besides….I can restore the bones in my arms….although it takes some time to recuperate and…" Juugo was interrupted in his speech as he threw up another pool of blood from his mouth.

"Settle down! There's no need for you to exaggerate yourself!" Ino encouraged him to not move so much with his body. "It's too dangerous for you to be here, we'll get you somewhere safe!" she then suggested which Karin was in full favor of doing so.

But when the two kunoichis were trying to help Juugo up on his feet, they were suddenly blown away thanks to the shockwave unleashed by the aerial combat between Sasuke and Saizo. This forced them all to the ground, yet they desperately tried to get back up on their feet as soon as possible. Karin, Ino and Juugo could see how the battle was starting to escalate that it even managed to shake the cave.

In the meantime, Suigetsu was struggling against Nagisa, who had managed to keep him, Yamato and Sai at bay with the help of Hiruko. However, the two terrorists now concentrated their efforts on the newly arrived group of shinobis. It was the commanders of the Triple Entente, as well as their seconds-in-command. While Hiruko only glared at them dispassionately, Nagisa had to smile at the group, especially when he saw Shachi and Hyozan arrive.

"Ah, Shachi! Still wearing that helmet huh!?" the blonde-haired man exclaimed, speaking to him as if they were friends. He did the same to Hyozan. "And what about you? Are you one of the new replacements in the Seven Swordsmen?" Nagisa asked Hyozan smugly.

"Nagisa Sorui…you were supposed to be dead" Shachi spoke up, his metallic voice making an impression on Nagisa. "But how are you…." Shachi was interrupted by the voice of Nagisa.

"Long story, but I'm still standing and breathing!" the young swordsman taunted them cockily.

Yugao narrowed her eyes at Hiruko. "I've seen that face before…...you're from the Sado clan" Yugao spoke up.

"Yes. There is no question about that. According to our files, you're the younger brother of the clan head" Baki spoke up, recalling what he had read in the files about him. "All of us were told that you had been executed along with your brother after the Sado clan's coup attempt" he then noted warily.

Hiruko's golden eyes narrowed when hearing what the Sand ninja just said. "Those rumors are greatly exaggerated. You think I would let somebody like A kill me!? Hell no! I'm a survivor!" the baldheaded man exclaimed.

Nagisa suddenly stepped beside Hiruko, urging his cohort to let him have the word with these commanders. Grudgingly, Hiruko let him. "Tell me, "so-called" commanders. Did all of you enjoy the show out in the sea? I bet all of you apricated the sea's gift" the blonde-haired man suddenly told them.

All the commanders snapped when hearing what was being said. Slowly, they began to realize what Nagisa was trying to tell them. Shachi suddenly pulled out his trident while Hyozan brandished his blade. Both of them were determined to fight the swordsman.

"You were the one, weren't you!?" Hyozan asked, the grey-haired man filled with resentment towards Nagisa. "You were the one who sent that tsunami towards us!? You helped those raiders capture us!?" he then demanded an answer from the swordsman.

"Wow, you are the epidemy of foolishness, aren't you!? I mean, as Mist ninjas, you should already know that I alone have the power to control the seas of this world! With Narumi at my side, that opportunity is guaranteed!" Nagisa said before he slammed the butt of his blade onto the ground once again. "Let me show you how it's done!" he then exclaimed.

The nearby water tower suddenly exploded for no reason. But what stunned most shinobis was the fact that the water tower contained so much water that it was now on the verge of flooding the entire shack city. The shinobis who stood nearby had to flee before the water would take them along with it.

Sasuke, who had so far been focused on his clashing towards Saizo, had begun noticing the flooding. He was stunned to see the amount of water that began flooding the sprawling shack city beneath him. It caught him by surprise. Sasuke began to see if there was some of his allies who had managed to avoid getting swallowed by it. Fortunately for him, he could see that many of them had managed to escape to safety.

But Sasuke's focus on searching for survivors had left him negligent about his focus on Saizo. He could see the giant figure flying towards a cave, which was located so high that it hadn't been affected by the flooding. Outraged, Sasuke chased him with his Susanoo, not being willing to let him get off the hook so easily.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!? WE'RE NOT FINISHED YET!" Sasuke demanded an answer as he chased his cousin through the caverns.

When he reached the cavern's end something happened to Sasuke's Susanoo. It began disintegrating for no apparent reason. Sasuke became shocked, wondering if this was one of Saizo's tricks. But it wasn't. Sasuke could see that even Saizo's Susanoo had disintegrated, yet he didn't seem shocked at least. Right now, Saizo was standing on the top of a rockpile. The two Uchihas stared into each other's eyes, neither of them making a move or a noise. The silence between them ended when Saizo spoke up.

"I'm afraid we will have to postpone our fight for now, Sasuke. I'm in a little rush at the moment" Saizo told Sasuke, as two figures now appeared beside him. It was Hiruko and Nagisa, each man glancing down at Sasuke with same expression as their cohort. "But then again, you can try stopping us if you have enough guts that is" the spikey-haired man suddenly taunted his cousin.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger over hearing this. "What's wrong with you, Saizo?" he first asked him lowly before raising the volume of his voice. "JUST WHAT THE FUCK'S WRONG WITH YOU!?" he demanded an answer out of Saizo.

"GET OVER IT, ALREADY! YOU AREN'T WORTH MY TIME AT THE MOMENT!" Saizo snapped and turned around, thus facing his back at him. His cohorts did exactly the same thing. But Saizo did look over his shoulder to glance at his cousin with his crimson reptile-like eyes. "But then again, if you really are determined to stop me, then I suggest to follow us. You've probably figured out about the crisis affecting the entire world. We have plans on dealing with this crisis ourselves. And that's why we're going to the place it happens…..on the Moon. Gather your wits and meet us up there. But know this, Sasuke. I'm not ending this fight, so be prepared…because I've great plans for you…along with others on this damned world! Until we met again….farewelll!" those were the final words Saizo said before he and his cohorts jumped off the rockpile and vanished.

Sasuke's red eyes snapped and he quickly ran towards the edge to see where those three had jumped. Once he got there, he was in for a surprise. Below him, there was a giant pristine lake which was spiraling. In a way, it could almost be considered a whirlpool. The raven-haired man could also notice something different about this lake. Untold energies of Chakra came from it and it became clear to him what it was. This was the source of Chakra the Triple Entente had been tasked to find. It really did exist on the Island of Tides.

Looking up, Sasuke could even see there was a hole in the rocky ceiling, thus enabling the moonlight to shine upon the spiraling lake. With careful thinking, Sasuke realized this was no ordinary source of Chakra. This was actually another portal to the Moon. But somehow, this portal seemed different from the one located in the underground of the Land of Fire. Was this portal directly linked to the Moon itself? So many thoughts swirled inside Sasuke's head. But what was on his mind right now, was something much more serious.

"Saizo…..how…..how did you end up like this?" Sasuke wondered, recalling back to their childhood days, when they would always play with each other alongside Itachi. Given that they were close relatives, they even lived in the same home. Sasuke was then reminded about Saizo's funereal, including on what his parents had told him when he died. Could it really be true? Had his parents lied to him about the death of his cousin and aunt during that rainy day? Given how Sasuke's life changed after the Uchiha Clan Massacre, he had always considered Saizo to be dead…until now. "No…...I refuse to believe it! My parents would never do it to close family! He was Uchiha!" Sasuke was very conflicted at the moment.

Sasuke was still standing facing the pool of whirlpool in silence. For some reason, he was no longer feeling distressed. Rather, he was now being determined. Sasuke was determined on going after Saizo, and find out the true answer to what really took the life of his cousin. Who was the liar? His cousin or his parents? This was a family mystery only he alone could solve. He knew that his superiors would reprimand him for abandoning his duties. But Sasuke didn't care. He would rather find the answers of his conflicted family.

Without hesitating, Sasuke dived from the edge and landed straight into the lake, eventually being sucked into its endless bottom. There was no going back now. He was headed towards the Moon, if Saizo was to be believed, that is.

Although Sasuke had vanished, his disappearance hadn't gone unnoticed by his friends. Even now, Ino, Sai, Yamato, Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo were standing at the spot Sasuke had previously occupied before diving into this mysterious lake.

"He really did it. He followed Saizo through the lake" Sai remarked while studying the water. "But then again, it appears this must be what we were tasked with searching for. This is the source of this mysterious Chakra" the pale-skinned man then took notice of the energies he felt.

"Yeah, it feels…..enigmatic…..somehow" Karin said, agreeing with Sai's statement.

Yamato, Ino and Suigetsu were leaning over to see if they could still see Sasuke in the lake. But they couldn't. He was now gone.

"Sasuke…" Ino thought while glancing down into the water. "Why do this?" she wondered in her head.

"This sucks ass! Here I was hoping for this mission to end quickly and have a fight with Sasuke, only for him to vanish out of the blue! Life can be cruel bitch sometimes!" Suigetsu expressed his anger over not being able to have his match with Sasuke. He also began slumping his face. "And then again, I didn't get the chance to wipe off the smirk on Nagisa's face. Crap" he lamented.

Yamato sighed. "I suppose we don't have much of a choice, do we?" he remarked at the situation they currently found themselves in.

"Are you all planning on going after Sasuke?" the group of Sasuke's friends snapped as they could see someone standing there with a smug smile forming on her face. It was Asami, yet she was not alone. She was accompanied by Hyozan and Yutaka, her counterparts from the Divine Division and the Grim Guard, respectively. Tatsuma Aburame, Tokuma Hyuuga, Ensui Nara and Shito Akimichi of the Shadow Squad and Komaza, Nejiri, Ittetsu, Mikoshi and Sari of the Grim Guard. "Don't tell me you're sneaking off and doing this without telling us" the teal-haired woman told them as she approached the group.

Suigetsu glanced at them with no enthusiasm in his eyes. "Great, here comes the showstoppers" he said sarcastically.

Sai approached the seconds-in-command with a smile directed towards Asami. "Pardon me, Asami. But could you please tell us what you mean by that?" he kindly asked her.

Asami facepalmed for a minute. "Tch, you forgot to refer me by my codename. But what does it matter? I really can't refer to you by yours. That's just…..plain disgusting" the teal-haired woman remarked, not wanting to say Sa's codename in front of everyone.

"What Mrs. Nakano is trying to say is that we have now fulfilled our objective to find the source of this Chakra. But we still failed to apprehend those three terrorists. And now they're headed towards the Moon as we speak" Hyozan spoke up, trying to gain everyone's attention. He then focused his glance on Sasuke's friends. "And I know that your plans are to follow Sasuke. And we can see why. While he may think he does the best choices, they are very foolhardy" the grey-haired man then told them, even forming a smile in the process.

"So all of us are going to the Moon together?" Sai asked them lowly before facing Asami. "But what about Commander Yugao and the others? They will reprimand us if we abandon…." Sai was interrupted by Asami putting a hand on his right shoulder.

"Don't worry. They'll learn to understand our reasons. But listen, we're not doing this just because we're friends with Sasuke" Asami told Sai while making sure those of the Shadow Squad were listening to her now. "Remember, we were charged with watching over Sasuke and making sure that he stood by the verdict he received. Come on, we all know that Yugao would want us to not let Sasuke do as we pleases, remember? He still needs to be watched. That is why we're going after Sasuke, in hopes of making sure he does not to anything foolish" she told everyone.

While surprised to hear it at first, Sai and the others had to smile at her statement. "Hmmm…...I really admire your leadership skills, Asami. You're terrific" Sai commented her.

"The reason why I'm here is to make sure these newcomers are safe" Yutaka revealed while glancing firmly at Komaza. "So you say you wanna be helpful to the Sand Village? Fine by me! That's why I'm joining the trip to the Moon in hopes of toughen you all up. This is a perfect opportunity for you to gain more experience in serious situations. I also hope the rest of you know what I'm getting at!" the young woman strictly tole everyone.

"YES MA'AM!" the members of the Grim Guard said together.

Mikoshi had to smile at his longtime comrade. "You're getting better each day, Yutaka. I knew Lord Gaara was wise to choose you" the four-eyed man told her. Yutaka only gushed when hearing his compliment, only for the other members of the Grim Guard to drop sweats when seeing how she was suddenly changing behavior.

Suigetsu formed a smug grin with his shark-like teeth. "So if we're all set and ready to go, what are we waiting for!?" he exclaimed.

Ino was also feeling confident in herself. "Yeah! I say we dive into the water and see what happens next! And hopefully we'll get a hold on Sasuke before he gets himself killed" the blondie told everyone, trying to encourage them into doing this.

"Then we best move quickly" Yamato told everyone. "While we're at the Moon, we might as well be able to meet up with the Moon Expedition led by Naruto. Together, we can take down on both threats to this world. There is a light of hope shining upon us now. I can feel it" he then added to his statement.

And so, this group of shinobis proceeded to dive towards the spiraling lake, eventually getting sucked through the water. Hopefully, they would be able to catch up with Sasuke, and then convince him how he could not defeat Saizo and his cohorts alone. But there was only one question that remained: for what reason would those three shinobis have for going to the Moon? Were they really allies with Toneri Otsutsuki? Or was it perhaps…for a more sinister purpose. Only time would tell.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: That was a great chapter! Before you begin saying anything, I want you to know this. Yes, the idea of a Uchiha bad guy may sound repetitive, but in most post-4** **th** **World War fanfics I've read, they're either failed experiments or evil entities. Saizo Uchiha is different, as he is a close relative of Sasuke instead of a lame clone or whatever. But how did he end up becoming this evil? There will be a flashback chapter which will tell us more about Saizo and his past. I took Red Hood from the DC Universe as in inspiration when making Saizo. Don't get me wrong, I like constructive criticism, but I don't like revealing every detail and secrets to the readers. That sounds amateurish in my opinion. Keeping secrets is part of the fun. But then again, this is only a fanfic story. I'm just having fun writing it. Now the next chapter will take us back to Naruto and the Moon Expedition. I may also want to dive into Hinata and her current situation in Toneri's palace. The lemon scenes will have to wait for now, but when it comes to characters like Hinata, I will try to tone it down. But then again, she was just desiring to be loved, yet she only found love in a slightly wrong manner. In a way, Hinata still possesses her naivety. But enough of that, stay tuned for more.**

 **And by the way, since those three hooded terrorists will play a part in the story, I have decided to give them some voice actors. I'm not familiar with Japanese seiyuus, so these are the English voice actors of Saizo, Nagisa and Hiruko are. I have also added Asami, Shachi and Hyozan there, considering that they're also OCs in this story and have no relation to the canon story.**

 **Saizo Uchiha – Jason Spisak**

 **Nagisa Sorui – David Vincent**

 **Hiruko Sado – Dean Redman**

 **Asami Nakano – Kether Donohue**

 **Shachi Arashiro – Keith Ferguson**

 **Hyozan Ishiwata – Ezra Weisz**


	20. Twilight Kingdom

**Author's note: This chapter will take us back to the Moon. We might also be able to see how Hinata and Toneri are doing. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Twilight Kingdom**

 _In a ruined town, on the Moon_

The sun came up on this strange realm on the Moon. Within these abandoned buildings, the Moon Expedition led by Naruto Uzumaki had stayed in these buildings for the night, especially since they had spent the entire time getting to the Moon in the first place. They would explore more of the Moon today. But first, they would have to wake up and see if something had happened around them while they had been asleep.

In some caves underneath this town, Shikamaru Nara and Kiba Inuzuka, along with Kiba, had awakened. Shikamaru yawned before taking notice of Kiba and Akamaru standing up to their feet. Shikamaru was surprised to see how quick the duo was to wake up in the morning.

"Eh good morning, Kiba. Slept well?" Shikamaru asked him while standing up on his feet.

Kiba was stretching his arm a little while hearing that question. "That's a dumb question to ask me, Shikamaru. Sleeping on the ground was hell, that I can promise" the brown-haired man told her.

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders in return. "Geez, you're such a grouch. Maybe you should've slept in instead of awoken" the man with the ponytail remarked before taking off. But not before stopping to say something more to Kiba. "Just remember, Kiba. You weren't brought on this expedition just so we could hear you throwing your tantrums. Never forget that" Shikamaru reminded him before proceeding towards the cavern's exit.

"Hey! You better watch your mouth before I…" Kiba stopped as he could see that Shikamaru was already on his way out of the caves. Knowing that Shikamaru didn't care about what he said, Kiba slumped his face in anger. He proceeded to follow Shikamaru out of the caves, hoping that they would regroup with the other members of the expedition. "Tch…...asshole" Kiba thought, not being willing to open his mouth to say it towards Shikamaru.

Briefly looking over his shoulder, Shikamaru could see how moody Kiba was behaving right now. He let out a silent sigh of irritation once he saw this. "I really hope Naruto's words helped him learn something. Otherwise, I'm not sure whether he's capable of being helpful to us" the man with the ponytail remarked to himself. But something else began popping out of Shikamaru's thoughts. "But can I really blame Kiba for being so upset? I mean, if Temari had been kidnapped then I would've also been pissed off about it. But I wouldn't blindly charge towards the enemy like some mad dog" Shikamaru began thinking on whether he would've acted similar to Kiba if his girlfriend had been taken by Toneri.

In an abandoned house in the town, Chouji Akimichi and Shino Aburame were up and ready to meet up with the rest of the gang, yet they first had to pack up their stuff first. "Well, we best pack up our stuff and meet up with the rest of the gang" Chouji told Shino.

"Of course. They may be doing the same thing as we speak. This won't take long" Shino responded gently while proceeding with packing up his stuff.

As they were doing that, Chouji couldn't help but to wonder about something with Kiba. And since Shino was Kiba's teammate, Chouji decided to ask him about Kiba. Hopefully, he would have some of the answers Chouji sought.

"Listen, I don't mean to be nitpicky or anything, Shino. But could you tell me what's been happening to Kiba, lately?" Chouji asked him and the man with sunglasses stopped packing his stuff. Chouji snapped, as he feared that he had only ruined Shino's mood. "Sorry if you're offended by it or anything! I just wanted to know whether…..." the chubby man stopped speaking once he could see Shino raise a hand at him to calm down.

"No Chouji, you haven't offended me by any means. It's just that I prefer not to talk about it, especially since Kiba's with us on this expedition" Shino answered. He soon looked over his shoulder to face Chouji. "But since I know that you're someone who only wants the best for Kiba, I'll tell you this. Kiba has always desired to find someone to get closer with, if not intimate with. And because of so many women rejecting him or turning him down, Kiba had started to grow both frustrated and miserable. But once he went to cheer Hinata up…he saw a…...different side of her. And really made Kiba attracted to her. While I don't know more about this new relationship between Kiba and Hinata, all I can say is that both my teammates have found something in each other…..something which I yet have to understand what it is" Shino explained to Chouji as honest as he could.

While surprised at first, Chouji quickly changed his expression to that of a smile. "I see. Look, I understand Kiba's frustration right now. I mean, none of us expected Hinata to get abducted by some…...crazy alien overlord" Chouji told Shino, trying to assure him that he meant well for Kiba.

"Yes. Much to our dismay" Shino responded while finishing packing up his stuff. The dark brown-haired man faced Chouji with his sunglasses. "Which leads to this question I have for you, Chouji" Shino revealed to him.

Chouji turned around to glance at Shino with a raised eyebrow. "Okay…..what is it, then?" he asked Shino.

"I only ask this since we have much in common as clan heirs. Do you want to have a wife in the future?" Shino asked Chouji.

The chubby man was stunned to hear someone like Shino ask a question like this. But then again, maybe it was something that had changed with Shino, especially since he became married to Umeko. Chouji's thoughts began drifting towards the person he had enamored feelings for: Sanae. True, he wanted to spend his life with her, but wasn't it a bit inappropriate to get married so early in the relationship?

Chouji smiled at Shino while stroking his facial hair on his chin. "All I can say is that I really wanna have a wife to stand by my side, like you have. But I'm not sure whether I'm prepared for marriage yet. And I believe Sanae feels the same way. That being said, we still love each other regardless" he told Shino.

Shino smiled lightly while nodding his head at him. "I understand. No one is forcing you into getting married. It's what me and Umeko told ourselves before we decided on that" the man with sunglasses replied and walked out of the building, with Chouji following suit.

In another abandoned building, the three men that served as communications unit: Genma Shiranui, Aoshi Yamashiro and Raido Namiashi. These three had still been brave enough to accompany Naruto to the Moon. Even though they couldn't communicate with the Hokage back on the Earth, they knew they had to make the best of it on this mission. Hopefully, they would be able to contact Tsunade soon enough.

Genma groaned while rubbing his head. "Damn. I sure miss my bed back home. As much as these sleeping bags are comfy, it sure doesn't help much with lying on hard ground" the easygoing man remarked.

"We just have to deal with this, Genma. As a matter of fact, I'm happy that we stumbled upon this ruined town. I can't see myself spending time in the forest" Aoshi spoke up while adjusting his sunglasses.

The two men could see that Raido was now awake, but the jounin with the scar across his face was looking at a picture for some reason. Feeling curious, Genma and Aoshi decided to take a peek on what it was that made Raido so fixated upon it. They passed once they could see what the picture was about. It was Raido, carrying a young boy on his shoulders.

Raido had taken notice of his two comrades staring at his picture and he sighed in annoyance. "Do you have to sneak up on me to look at this picture? You had asked, I would've let you see it" he said.

"Raido…..is that your kid you're carrying?" Genma asked his fellow jounin.

"Yes, it is. His name is Shinta. He's quite a handful one. Even so, I still love him with all my heart" Raido said, feeling proud over having someone so sweet and innocent as Shinta as his son.

Being told this made both Genma and Aoshi think about someone they missed back home. That's right, like Raido, they also had children. Now, all three had left them in care of the Leaf Village while partaking in this mission. But their children were staying with their mothers.

"Damn…...I really didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Keiko before I left. Crap" Genma lamented over himself while thinking about his daughter.

"I did get to say goodbye to Tadeshi before I left" Aoshi told his comrades. "But I didn't let either him nor his mother know of where I was going. They will probably be asking me so many questions once I'm back. If I make it out alive, that is" the man with sunglasses remarked.

"We all have something to fight for back home, not just the other Leaf villagers" Raido told them both. Aoshi and Genma knew that this couldn't be more than farther from the truth. "But how about we start acting like real fathers, which is to protect them against any who would do them harm. And this doesn't just involve our kids. There are also millions of children out in the world, with family or not, whose lives are in jeopardy because of this Toneri-bastard and his smugness. So I say we do them a favor by helping the Moon Expedition end this disaster. Then, our kids will be proud of having us as a parent" the man with the scar told his comrades.

Genma mused to himself over hearing his comrade's words. "Wow….I never could've said it better myself honestly" the man with the senbon in his mouth remarked

Aoshi adjusted his sunglasses. "Then let us move out. The others are probably wondering whether something has happened to us" he told them and as such, they began moving.

All the jounins knew what was at stake here. Gathering their supplies, they moved outside, heading towards the location Naruto was. As long as they followed him to complete this mission, they knew their children, as well as the other children in the world, would be safe.

Naruto, along with Sakura, Lee and Tenten, had set up camp near what appeared to be some kind of an old well. The people who once lived in this town probably got their source of water from it. But even as Naruto and Lee leaned over to take peek, they couldn't see any water at the bottom. All they could see was pitch black. Even as Naruto dropped a rock, they couldn't hear it cling.

"This well's bottom is so deep. Heck, not even the rock you just dropped has reached there yet" Lee remarked astonishingly.

"Yeah, it looks creepy when you look it that way" Naruto admitted, agreeing with Lee's statement. "For all we know, we don't even know how they were able to create a civilization on the Moon. It's supposed to be cold here" Naruto added.

"Perhaps we can find some clues. But perhaps not just here" Lee suggested to Naruto.

Naruto smiled when hearing this. "That's what I've planned. We could perhaps search more for clues, and perhaps discover the location of Toneri's hideout or whatever the hell he lives in" the blonde-haired man told Lee.

"The entire gang is coming, Naruto" Sakura informed him and Naruto quickly turned around to look at Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino and the rest of the Moon Expedition gathering in front of him.

"Great to see you all. Hope each of you managed to get some sleep. Cause today, we'll leave this town and explore more of this world" Naruto revealed to them all.

Many of Naruto's friends widened at his suggestion. Some of them such as Chouji was feeling slightly concerned over doing this. "I don't know, Naruto. Isn't it a tad too risky to be venturing outside? I mean, the enemy could possibly be waiting to strike down upon us in the open" he told Naruto.

"I think I may have to take Chouji's side here" Tenten spoke up. "Toneri and his minions know this land better than any of us do. It would be wise if we didn't just waltz into the open and expose ourselves to them" the brunette pointed out to her friends.

"You're forgetting something, Tenten. And I could say the same thing to you, Chouji" Naruto told them both. "Even by now, Toneri knows we're on the Moon. He knew that the second we defeated the Gatekeeper. Therefore, there is no point in trying to remain invisible here. We have to move out in the open" the blonde-haired man told them.

"But then again, Tenten is right on one thing" Sakura told Naruto and he glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "This land is what Toneri knows best. If he wanted to kill us, he would've done that while we were asleep" the pinkette come up with a fact.

"Well said, Sakura. It appears that something else is keeping him busy from pursuing us, but why?" Lee wondered.

"Well the answer to that's pretty obvious. Have you forgotten what he told us?" the voice came from Kiba, and all friends focused their attentions on him. "While we were in those caverns, he told us that Hinata was to become his bride, so that it would strengthen his clan or whatever crap he was spewing about" he reminded them.

The gathered friends gasped when realizing what Kiba was getting at. "That's it….he wants to marry Hinata!" Tenten said, realizing the bigger picture. "This only reminds how dire the situation for Hinata and her family is. We must find Toneri's palace" she told her friends.

"I think this situation is pretty much dire for every one of us" Shikamaru told them while showing them the Armageddon Countdown Clock on his wrist. "Don't forget about the Earth. At this rate, we're their only hope. That is unless someone is crazy enough to figure out a way to destroy the Moon" he added to his explanation.

"If only our communication devices worked, we could've reached out to Lady Tsunade and learn from how she and the other Kages are dealing with this crisis. I can tell by the looks of it that it does not look good" Raido said, expressing some hints of disappointment that the devices were not working on the Moon.

"Yes. But as I told yesterday, we just have to make the best out of it. But I believe we should be able to get in touch with Grandma Tsunade someday" Naruto assured Raido, Genma and Aoshi. "But enough of focusing on what we can't do about. How about we focus on what we can do. We leave this town and continue on through the forest. Obviously, we will find something on this unfamiliar place. But whether we find Toneri's palace or not, remains to be seen" Naruto then told his friends, giving them clear orders to leave this place and venture out in the woods.

Without delay, they were gone. But that didn't stop Toneri's spies from tracking their movements. The tiny wisps had always been watching the Moon Expedition and would report anything they deemed suspicious to their master.

* * *

 _Inside Toneri's palace, the Moon_

The morning had arrived at the floating palace and Toneri Otsutsuki was currently waiting in a hallway for his important captive, Hinata Hyuuga to arrive. Today was going to be a different day for him, as he would show Hinata everything, not just the palace. She would be given an opportunity to view what she would have access to when she became his wife. Toneri was feeling confident in himself, given that Hinata had not spoken a word about her friends back on the Earth, including Kiba.

"This is going perfectly" Toneri said while glancing through a window to the east. He could see one of the floating islands near his palace. "She will be fascinated once she sees the Tenseigan and the Shrine of Hamura" he noted to himself with satisfaction in his voice, confident that Hinata would fall her heels over him.

It didn't take long before Hinata finally arrived and she was accompanied by a couple of dolls in his service. To his surprise, Hinata smiled when she saw his face. This only confirmed her devotion to him as his future bride. Once she approached him, Hinata bowed deeply in a formal manner.

"Good morning, Lord Toneri. How do you fare?" Hinata asked him.

Toneri smiled in return. "I am fine, thank you. I must say, your formality astounds me. By that, it means I am impressed. As expected of my future wife" he told her, surprisingly in a gentler tone.

Hinata was happy that Toneri had lowered himself to trust her. It pained her on the inside to act this way. But it was for the sake of protecting her family, as well as learning more about the Moon itself. But on another note, she had looked forward to see the Shrine of Hamura. Hopefully, she would find the answers she sought there.

"Very well, shall we go to those places you promised to show me?" Hinata asked her, trying not to sound demanding.

"Absolutely" Toneri replied. "We will begin the tour by showing you the most important source of life here on the Moon. The Energy Vessel: the Tenseigan" the white-haired man told her and motioned for Hinata to come with him. She did that without hesitation, with many the doll guards accompanying her.

Toneri was taking Hinata to the deepest reaches of the palace. These hallways and stairs were made by earth itself, causing Hinata to believe they were actually going underground. But it was not the case here. As they walked down the stairs, Hinata could see golden light at the doorway. Seeing this only made it more tempting of her to watch. And there were also the many doll guards that were standing along the stairway. From the looks of it they seemed to be some kind of elite guards, the strongest in Toneri's service.

"Be ready, Hinata. You are about to witness something few humans ever will. You will see what you will be able to command once we are married" Toneri told her.

Hinata didn't know why he was so interested to show her this thing. But the moment Hinata entered the room, her bright eyes widened in astonishment. "What in all heavens…." Hinata uttered out those words while her mind was fixated upon the gigantic object in this room underneath the palace.

There it was, the Tenseigain. The source of all life on the Moon. It was an eye-like orb structure with double-layered, yellow hexagon-shaped pupils (one fixed and one another rotated counter-clockwise), surrounded by an orange-yellow flower-like iris. It was also protected with some huge pieces of metal bars. It was nothing like Hinata had ever seen.

"This light…it feels like nothing I've ever felt in my entire life…is this what is the sun here on the Moon?" Hinata asked Toneri.

"Of course. For millennia, the Otsutsuki clan used the Tenseigan to seal our clan's Byakugan to combine their power, as well as collect and amplify natural energy. However, the Tenseigan is more than just a source of energy for life on the Moon. It also empowers my army of dolls and has the power to create massive blasts of Chakra that can wipe out entire armies. As a matter of fact, it was once placed and mounted in a wheeled tower structure with an Otsutsuki emblem carved in the front of the tower and was used in the war between the Otsutsuki's Main and Branch Families" Toneri began explaining what the Tenseigan really was.

"It did?" Hinata asked, feeling very curious to know more about her captor. But for now, she wanted to know more about the Tenseigan as a whole. "About the Tenseigan. Is there more to it than meets the eye?" she asked him in a curious manner, which would not draw any suspicions from Toneri.

"Certainly. The Tenseigan is also the one who controls the Moon's movements, even right now. It also houses countless Byakugans inside its core, including the Tenseigan belonging to my ancestor Hamura" Toneri told her before gazing upon Hinata herself. "No one could ever hope to destroy it. An unknown ancient curse technique was also placed on the Tenseigan, making it untouchable except by those with the undiluted chakra of Hamura. That is why it will never be destroyed" he told her, still smiling confidentially.

Hinata smiled at Toneri in return. "Then that is terrific. I am amazed by how something like this could ever exist. It only makes it more tempting to stay on the Moon" she admitted to him.

"I am glad you appreciate this, Hinata. I can tell by hearing your voice that you will learn to appreciate your surroundings quicker than expected. You make me proud" Toneri told her while putting a hand on her back, which slightly surprised Hinata. "Together, you and I will rebuild civilization on Earth and punish mankind for their arrogance in weaponizing Chakra" he told her while glancing directly at the Tenseigan with his azure eyes.

Hinata felt very awful on the inside. Deep down, she knew how foolish she was to appease a madman like Toneri Otsutsuki. A part of her wanted to just slap his face to make him see reality. But another part of her wanted to protect her family, especially after what Toneri had done to her sister and father. She could not bear to see more Hyuuga clansmen and women suffer such treatment from him. Hinata knew that as long as she played by Toneri's rules, her family's survival was guaranteed.

"Okay. Now that I have showed you the Tenseigan, I will now show you another testament to my kingdom: the Shrine of Hamura" Toneri told Hinata and began walking. The bluenette followed suit, with two dolls accompanying them.

The two were currently standing on one of the castle's balconies. They were facing the air, yet Hinata was wondering whether Toneri could fly. Their wait was over when a floating red platform appeared before them. Hinata was stunned to see something like this existing. But then again, she was on the Moon, anything could be possible.

"This is a device used for transportation throughout the Moon. I assure you that as long as we're standing on it, we will be safe" Toneri assured Hinata before gesturing her to step on it. "You may go first, Hinata" he told him and she did so without hesitation.

When Toneri and he puppet guards were standing the device, it immediately took them to the nearest floating island, which indeed housed the Shrine of Hamura. While floating in the middle of the air, Hinata couldn't help but to wonder about why she had only seen puppets, and not other members of the Otsutsuki clan.

"Lord Toneri. What happened to your people? Are you the only one left?" the bluenette gently asked the white-haired man.

Toneri closed his eyes when he heard that. "That is the truth I am afraid. The civilization on the Moon has dwindled since it was settled by my people. Immediately after they settled, the Otsutsuki clan was split between the Main Family and the Branch Family, each of them possessing different interpretations of Hamura's dying wish. The Branch Family warred against the Main Family and emerged victorious. But at the same time, they were left on the brink of extinction from the fighting" Toneri began explaining the past of his people. From the looks of it, Toneri was not pleased to tell her about this. "I was born in the Branch Family and was its heir. Being the heir, my eyes was sealed within the Energy Vessel for my Tenseigan at birth. I also didn't experience a happy childhood either. I desired human friends rather than the puppets that served our family. Following my father's passing during my youth, I was left alone with no other companions as the rest of the Branch Family had passed away as well" he then began telling more about himself.

As she heard all this, a part of Hinata couldn't help but to take pity on Toneri. She didn't know why she did that, but it was probably due to her usual kind-hearted nature. Was Toneri being earnest when telling her this? Had he too experienced the pain of being alone and left without friends? But Hinata would not give him her full sympathy. Being alone did not excuse his terrorizing acts towards the Earth, let alone threaten and kidnap her family. But there was something she really wanted to know from him personally.

"Lord Toneri, you said that you and I were destined to become husband and wife. Just tell me, how is it that you knew me before we even met? I never knew about you before" Hinata asked him once again.

Toneri opened his azure eyes and glanced at her with a slight smile. "You may have ever seen me before. But I have seen you numerous times before, Hinata. On multiple occasions, my father and I would take the secret passageways to the Earth and spy on the Hyuuga clan in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It was only natural, considering that we share common ancestry" Toneri revealed to her, which only astounded Hinata. "Ten years ago, during one of these trips, I sensed you when you were practicing something with your father. I knew that you were in fact the Hyuuga-heiress, given the intense training your father put you through. Because of that, my father decided that we would come back in ten years to make you my bride. And it happened. I fulfilled it and we are ready to become husband and wife soon" he revealed to her.

Hinata was completely stunned. All this time, he had been watching her, waiting for her to grow up into a woman so that he could pick her up and make her his bride. Hinata recalled back to her childhood days, when she was usually being treated harshly by not bullies, but also her own family. Her father had always high expectations of her, given that she was to be the future Head of the Hyuuga clan. But he always despised her weakness, as well as her gentle nature. Hinata remembered that all this harshness started with the death of her mother: Haya Hyuuga. She remembered once seeing her father cry over Haya's deceased body, something Hinata and little Hanabi had also done, especially during the funereal. The death of Haya changed Hiashi forever, and he became more cold and bitter, especially towards Hinata for being so useless as a clan heir. Hinata had sometimes wondered whether her raising would've been different if her mother was still alive.

But that was in the past. Hinata had now matured into a young woman. As such, she had tried to put the painful past behind her and focus on the future. One of her main inspirations for that was of course Naruto. While she had always desired to be with Naruto, it didn't work that way. After the world war, Hinata and Naruto dated briefly, yet neither of them seemed to connect with each other. Hinata especially missed the old Naruto she grew up to love, yet something was missing with him. And thus, they ended the brief relationship, yet they vowed to stay as friends with each other. As much as it pained her to lose her childhood crush, Hinata realized that she alone could not control Naruto's heart, as he had begun developing feelings towards Sakura. Naruto had told Hinata that she would one day find someone who loved her. But that day would take a long time. That is until she found out what Kiba thought of her as a woman.

Hinata had been desperate for love, and Kiba had also been that as well. It's because of that they kissed in her bedroom that day. But it was not enough. Hinata was feeling very stressed out. Her mind had behaved in a manner which she never would've guessed she did. The bluenette wanted to feel real love, including what sexual desires really was. But was that the smartest choice of her? It was after all she who had started the sexual encounter by moving on Kiba. She didn't know what she was doing during that evening. She only wanted to be with Kiba and love him. With her feminine charms, Kiba had been swayed by her and allowed himself to be taken by Hinata's lust.

"What did I really do?" Hinata wondered in her head. "I let myself be controlled by the lustful monster that dwelled within me. But after we did that, I immediately started having regrets. I wonder how Kiba feels about that" Hinata wondered, thinking about the young man she had made love with.

"Hinata. Hinata? Hinata, wake up!" the voice came from Toneri and Hinata quickly snapped back into reality. The white-haired man was glancing at her with a slight frown. "What is the matter with you?" he asked her calmly, yet Hinata could tell he was starting to get slightly suspicious over her behavior.

Facing him, Hinata immediately apologized by bowing her head in shame. "I am so sorry about that, Lord Toneri. But your story reminded me about my childhood in the Leaf Village. I couldn't help but to lose focus" the bluenette apologized, trying to ease his concerns.

It took some seconds before Toneri changed his frown into a smile. "Very well, I guess some confusions are to be accepted" Toneri told her, much to Hinata's relief. He looked up to see how far they were from the island. "Oh, we're almost there" he said to her.

Hinata looked to see what appeared to be some kind of terrace in the wall of rock. A large cave could be seen. This had to be the entrance to the Shrine of Hamura. The young Hyuuga couldn't help but to feel slightly overjoyed when seeing it. Soon, they would enter and maybe she would get the chance to speak to Hamura once again. But she would have to keep this a secret from Toneri. Or more importantly, how as she gonna talk to him with Toneri being near her?

The red transportation device landed on the terrace and Hinata, Toneri and the two puppet guards got off quickly. They proceeded to move towards the giant cave. Despite it's size, it was impossible for Hinata to see what was inside. Hopefully, she would be able to once she entered it.

As soon as the group entered the cave, what appeared dark on the outside, came to light on the inside. But Hinata was in for a shock once she could see that this cave was actually a graveyard. So many tombstones were seen and they were endless. It was different than the Hyuuga clan's graveyard back in the Leaf Village. But these endless graves were not what caught her attention the most. On the other end of the cave was a giant statue of a long-haired man carrying a staff. Beneath it, a giant white tombstone with the Otsutsuki clan symbol on the top. There was not question about it, this was the grave of Hamura Otsutsuki, as well as the shrine that honored his legacy.

"It's….amazing" Hinata remarked from what she was seeing. "The statue….and that big tombstone…..I've never seen anything like that. We never build statues to honor our leaders in the Hyuuga clan" she told Toneri.

"Well, our marriage will change that" Toneri told her. "We will build a new era with our two clans: united in our common ancestry. Life on the Moon will flourish once again" the white-haired man exclaimed.

Hearing Toneri's words and promises, Hinata felt like asking him something about her family. She had to make sure whether he would spare her family from his cruelty. But Hinata had to be careful by not mentioning his desire to destroy the Earth.

"Lord Toneri, you do remember your promise to leave my family alone? I'm thankful for that. The rest of the Hyuugas will also be spared" the bluenette told him.

Toneri faced him with a slight frown. "I already told you that, didn't I? The Hyuugas will become a part of the new clan you and I will create from the scratch. The same thing will happen to the Sage's world. Try not to test my patience, Hinata" Toneri told her with a slightly strict tone in his voice.

Hinata was now feeling worried about what Toneri was about to do to her. Had he started to grow suspicious of her? The bluenette didn't open her mouth to say another word. But she did fell like apologizing to him once again. Something stopped her from doing it, though.

"AAAAARGHHHH!" Toneri suddenly felt pain in his head and he rubbed his head with both hands. "DAMN IT! NOT AGAIN! AAAAAAAARGHHHH!" the white-haired man was losing himself.

The Hyuuga-heiress was stunned to see this and didn't know what was happening with Toneri. This was the first time she had seen him like this.

"What is happening? Are you feeling okay?" Hinata asked him, wanting to know what his man was doing now.

Toneri was still holding onto his hands. "I MUST…GO…AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! AAAAARGHHHHH!" Toneri yelled in agony and fell on his knees. But he was helped up by his doll guards. They took him outside, leaving Hinata all by herself. "AAAAAAARGH!" Toneri's agonizing voice could still be heard from her standpoint.

As Toneri had been taken outside, Hinata could only stand and wonder what she had just witnessed. Never had she seen someone as cold and ruthless as Toneri experience pain before. Had something infiltrated his mind? Hinata regretted not activating her Byakugan to find the answer to that. But why was she even considering such? This was the man who was currently threatening the Earth and the innocent people that lived on it. He had also attacked her friends and family. And yet, she felt so much pity for that man. It didn't make any sense.

"What just happened? Is this some kind of genjutsu?" Hinata wondered while feeling slightly concerned over this.

"What you saw was no genjutsu, child" an old but familiar voice came behind Hinata, forcing the bluenette to jump in fear. She quickly turned around to see who it was. She smiled in relief. Standing before her was none other than Hamura Otsutsuki himself, his appearance still that of an old man. As her eyes met his, Hamura smiled at Hinata. "Welcome, Byakugan Princess. We have been expecting you" he told her.

"I-its you! Hamura Otsutsuki!" Hinata exclaimed while smiling at him. She stood before the ancient man. "You're…..you're actually here" she told him, her smile never fading away.

Hearing this made Hamura chuckle in amusement. "Indeed, child. I did tell you we would meet again soon. And now, here we are, all together" he told her.

Hinata was not sure what Hamura meant by that. But the bright-eyed woman was stunned when she could see hundreds of men dressed in robes similar to Toneri appear in the form of spirits at their graves. Each of these people had different appearances, yet all of them had their eyelids closed, with the notable exception being Hamura. Hinata soon came to realize who these people were.

"These people, they are all…." Hinata uttered out words slowly.

Hamura nodded his head at her. "Yes. These are the spirits of the members of the Branch Family that rests in this cave. We have all come out to reach out a helping hand towards you, Hinata Hyuuga. We need you more than ever" the old man told her as someone approached beside him.

Hinata was stunned. This man looked awfully similar to Toneri in terms of having white hair, although it was rather spikey. What also separated him from Toneri was the fact that he had beard. But then again, his eyelids were also closed. To the Hyuuga-heiress' surprise, he bowed to her in a formal manner.

"It is an honor to meet you in person, Byakugan Princess. I am Tenmu Otsutsuki, previous head of the Branch Family, as well as the father of my son Toneri. We are all glad that you could come here" he introduced himself as Toneri's father.

Hinata was surprised, yet also confused at the same time. Was Tenmu the man who had declared she and his son were to become married as husband and wife? A part of her wanted to simply slap his face. But that was futile, given that he was only a spirit, thus untouchable.

"Why have you all been waiting for me?" Hinata asked them.

Both Hamura and Tenmu formed deep frowns, thus signalizing how troubled they were. "As you may know, these times have become dire. The world that my twin brother Hagoromo created is now under threat of the Moon. My descendant's recklessness and zealousness has gone too far" Hamura said before looking over to Tenmu. "And I hold you and the rest of my kin accountable for falling for these lies and deceits" the ancient man rebuked him.

"So does that mean, you never wished to destroy humanity, even after they weaponized the Chakra?" Hinata asked Hamura.

He weakly nodded his head as a yes. "Of course. I knew that from the day Hagoromo and my nephews spread their teachings across the Earth, the Chakra would be weaponized. But this was something neither of them could ever hope to avoid, which is what became their tainted legacy" Hamura explained to Hinata before he sighed deeply. "But sadly, my legacy became tainted as well. Although I did not cause it myself" the old man revealed in a very sad expression.

Hinata understood what he meant by that, so she faced Tenmu with a disapproving glance. "You. The civilization on the Moon was going perfect until the Branch Family began warring with the Main Family. All this conflict only resulted in extinction. Why did you do that?" the bluenette asked him, surprisingly acting more stern than usual.

"You are correct. My ancestors in the Branch Family did start the war, given that we believed in Hamura's last wish being the destruction of the Earth. But we were foolish to have been goaded into this suicide campaign by dark whispers" Tenmu told her, much to Hinata's own curiosity.

"Dark whispers…what are you talking about?" the young woman asked her.

Hamura once again sighed, this time feeling distressed. "Perhaps it is time you learn more about one of the reasons why my mother: Kaguya Otsutsuki, consumed the God Tree's Chakra fruits. Eons ago conflict between humans was not the only problem concerning her. There were also these monstrous beasts that had existed since the waking of the world" the old man told Hinata as she listened closely. "One of these dangerous beasts to have lived, was the hellish dragon named Kenrojin, a serpentine being filled with volcanic scales and claws of fire and teeth of heat. My mother, having achieved Chakra, battled that beast and banished it to the hell he came from. Or so we thought" Hamura began telling something from a story nobody, not even the greatest academics knew. "With Kenrojin trapped beneath the Earth itself, he had the power to whisper and twist the minds of human beings with such ease. As such, that beast was able to bend humans to his will and drive them towards insanity. Unfortunately, my mother became one of his victims" the ancient man then revealed.

Hinata was stunned to hear all this. "So that's…that's why you and the Sage of the Six Paths sealed her? After she merged with the God Tree to become the Ten-Tailed Beast?" she lowly asked him.

"Yes. It was a regretful decision to seal away our mother, but it had to be done. Kenrojin's whispers had warped her mind. As such, we were left with no choice but to seal her away" Hamura told Hinata. "But after sealing our mother, me and my twin brother had hoped that Kenrojini's influence would wane into oblivion. But it never did and to our negligence, Kenrotjin managed to bring his influence with him when the Moon was created" he then went on telling her.

"And that is where the false rumors began" Tenmu spoke up. "The Otsutsuki clan living on the Moon were being toyed by Kenrojin to fight one another. The Branch Family, which had always envied the Main Family's better status, were easily manipulated by that foul beast and waged it's disastrous war, resulting in civilization almost being extinct" the middle-aged man explained while feeling very regrettable. "And now, I am afraid my son has started to follow that mad path, just as I did when I was alive. But I fear that something else is stoking Toneri's fears" Tenmu admitted.

Hinata's bright eyes widened in astonishment. "You don't suppose that…" she stopped once Tenmu began speaking once again.

"Yes, child. There is no doubt in my mind. Kenrojin is twisting Toneri, as he twisted Kaguya in the past" he told her.

Suddenly, Hamura banged his staff on the ground, facing Hinata directly. "You must end his madness, child. If there is someone who can stop him, it is a Hyuuga. You are that Hyuuga. One of the things you need to stop the Moon…is to destroy the Tenseigan" he told her while mentioning the Energy Vessel.

Despite hearing all the hope these people had for her, Hinata could not help but to feel ashamed of herself. "But why me?" she questioned them before facing the ground with shame in her eyes. "I can't destroy the Tenseigan, let alone, save my family against Toneri. All my, I have always been deemed something…" Hinata stopped when she could see a hand touch her shoulder, it was Hamura, but he was now smiling at her in a grandfatherly manner.

"Rest easy there, child. I am aware of you having doubts in yourself. But do not forget who you are. You have perhaps not seen it, but you are stronger than you realize. But I know you also desire something more than just acknowledgement, something which I believe is more powerful as such: love" Hamura told her, much to Hinata's own embarrassment and shock.

"How….how do you….." Hinata was interrupted by Hamura speaking.

"I have seen you, Hinata. You are the Byakugan Princess, but also someone who is a gentle soul desiring love. You do have a reason to fight, not just for the sake of protecting your family, but also to save the world you share with mankind. You want to feel real love, don't you?" Hamura asked her, to which Hinata nodded weakly. "Well, young one. I can tell you this. You do not need to chase love, neither do you need to find love. Because you…have embraced it. And it is not a recent acquisition. You did that while you were a little girl" he then told Hinata.

When she heard this, Hinata was quickly drifting back into her past. Where had she learned love from? Was it her father? Perhaps not, but she cared for him despite the harsh treatment he had put her through. Even though she had been treated unfairly by him, she never held hatred towards him. Hatred was perhaps something Hiashi would've been easily exposed to, but not Hinata. She had inherited her mother's love, and not the hate from her father. Hinata could never leave her family behind, as it would make her no better than monsters like Toneri.

Facing Hamura, Hinata weakly nodded her head, a passion burning within the young woman. "Thank you, Hamura. I never knew how much I needed to hear those words. I don't need to love just family and friends. I am love, as my mother Haya was before me" she said to him and faced Tenmu. "And as for you, I don't care what you have decided or not, let alone what your son thinks. The choices I make does not have to influenced by people of nobility or any other class! Love comes from within, not from outside interference! And that being said, I will tell you this: I will not marry Toneri, but I will fight him! You and him don't get to decide who I marry! Neither to my father, my sister, my clanmates, my friends or even gods! Only I can be the judge of that! No one else! That is my answer!" she was finished with a passionate speech about herself as an individual.

There was silence among the spirits, but after seconds, Tenmu nodded his head at her in return. "Very well. I will renounce my claim. Whoever you end up marry, your future husband will be a lucky man to have someone as determined as you" Tenmu revealed to her.

Hamura smiled by seeing how Hinata had regained confidence in herself as a kunoichi. "I admire your willpower, Hinata. As such, we all believe you are the one who can stop my descendant from his mad quest. Therefore, I will give you one final gift before we leave everything to you" the ancient man said before poking Hinata's widened eyes with his fingers, yet it didn't hurt her at all. Enormous amounts of Chakra began streaming into her. "Accept this gift on our behalf, Byakugan Princess. I own power to you. With it, it gives you the ability to resist my descendant's Orb of Chakra as well as the power to destroy the Tenseigan. And may it also empower your future children someday, just as my mother did with us in the past. But above all, use it to save the world my brother created. And never surrender to your darkness. Remember, Hinata….you are love itself" those were the last words Hinata heard from the ancient man.

Hinata opened her eyes and her Byakugan had been activated. It was rather strange, as she hadn't done it willingly. But above all, she felt different more than ever. Right now, she could see that all the spirits before her were gone. Hinata soon understood they would now leave everything to her.

"I must plan a way to reach the Tenseigan, although it does require that I play along with Toneri's game. And while I know that my friends will be coming, it is time that I do something to save them, not the other way around" Hinata said as she clenched her right fist. She soon turned around to see the direction Toneri had been heading towards. "You had your chance to destroy the world and make me your bride…..YOU WON'T GET ANOTHER!" Hinata yelled, not caring about how loud she actually was.

* * *

 _Inside Toneri Otsutsuki's bedroom_

"I will destroy the Sage's world…..I WILL!" Toneri was slowly being driven into insanity while speaking to himself. Or was he perhaps talking to someone others.

An evil voice chuckled in his head, thus causing more pain for Toneri. "Sad, little man. All you desire is having some friends. But such desires are useless! There is no hope for you to make some now" the deep voice called out to him.

Anger and frustration took hold on Toneri. "Damn you…GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he yelled while sweating intensively. "I WILL END THIS MADNESS WITH DESTROYING THE MOON!" he added while lying upon his bed.

"You will destroy it. Obliterate the Sage's world in twilight and fury. Leave nothing left of it" the voice came to haunt Toneri's mind once again.

"What is this magic!? WHO IS BEHIND ALL THIS!?" he angrily asked.

Toneri was in for a surprise when he could hear something laugh at him. But this was not coming from this evil voice in his head. He was looking to his window, his azure eyes soon widening with fear and anger at the same time. Apparently, he was seeing something at the window but who?

"You…IS THIS YOUR DOING!?" he demanded from whoever was standing at the window.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the mountains, the Moon_

Sasuke Uchiha had found himself coming out of a waterfall. He fell on the water, before realizing he wasn't even wet. Getting up on his feet, Sasuke began looking around his surroundings. From the looks of it, he found himself in a cave. But there was an opening, which Sasuke eventually noticed. Grabbing his sword, Sasuke walked towards the light, wondering what he would find outside. He was certain he had arrived on the Moon, given that he was pursuing the three hooded dragons, among them his deceased cousin: Saizo Uchiha. The raven-haired man had to cover his eyes with his right hand, as the light was shining so bright. But Sasuke was even in for a bigger surprise when he could see what he had arrived at.

"What is all this?" Sasuke wondered as he was now gazing from a cliff. He had arrived high on the Moon's mountains. From his standpoint, he had a great view of everything, from thick forests, to pristine lakes and rivers to even other tall mountains. The wind was blowing through him, yet Sasuke didn't seem to mind. But what also caught his attention was the Sun appearing above his head. "So, this is what the Moon looks like? I never expected it to look anything like this?" Sasuke noted to himself as he gazed out from the cliff.

For a while, Sasuke stood by himself, yet he could hear some footsteps coming from behind. But Sasuke remained still, and continued gazing out on the landscape. But those who were behind him were making a noise, as they were awed by where they had arrived at. It was Ino Yamanaka, Suigetsu Hozuki, Asami Nakano, Hyozan Ishiwata, Tatsuma Aburame, Tokuma Hyuuga, Ensui Nara, Shito Akimichi, Sai, Yamato, Juugo, Karin, Yutaka, Komaza, Nejiri, Ittetsu, Mikoshi and Sari. They were the combined group of the Shadow Squad, the Divine Division and the Grim Guard, who had decided to follow Sasuke through the portal and see where that took them. Although they saw Sasuke, they were paying more attention to the place they had arrived at.

"Woah…is this view even for real? I mean, it's not just some genjutsu, is it?" the voice came from Suigetsu who was asking Sasuke, yet the raven-haired man didn't reply.

"I think he doesn't have the answer to that, Suigetsu. And quite frankly, neither do I" Karin told him

"You can also put me into that category. Or perhaps a more likely option would be placing all of us in it together" Ino told the four-eyed woman.

"But then again, can we really be sure this is the Moon? It looks nothing from what I have read of it" Yamato asked them. "I mean, they have mountains, forests, lakes, rivers and even a sun! How is that eve possible!?" the brown-haired man asked once again, feeling more than willing to know more.

"That remains to be answered. But even now, I can feel the rays of sunshine on my body. It really is warm here" Sai told him before checking out his arms. "Maybe I should go tanning here or something" he then suggested to himself.

Asami only facepalmed when hearing Sai's suggestion. "Did I just hear you say go tanning? You are way over your head, Sai" she told him, causing Sai to only glance at her with his friendly smile as usual.

"Tempting, but no" the voice came from Hyozan. "We still have objectives to complete while we're here. And this, we will proceed with our orders" the swordsman told them.

"Isn't that a tad too late for you to say that?" the voice came from Shito Akimichi. "I mean, we're on the Moon. Shouldn't we be focusing on doing something else rather than capturing those lousy criminals?" the stout man asked him.

"Yeah. And for the record, none of our commanders are with us, so don't we just do things our way?" Komaza asked, only for him to get pinched on his arm by Yutaka. "Hey!" he told her, yet Yutaka was glancing at him firmly.

"Don't give us that tone, Komaza. I'm still the Grim Guard's second-in-command" she reminded him. "And thus, you are to follow me, just as you follow Baki" the young woman added to him.

"Let us not waste time speculating what we must do. Right now, my clan is being held captives by some alien megalomaniac! Therefore, it is important that we….." Tokuma was interrupted by a voice someone would have least expected to hear, Sasuke's.

"ENOUGH!" the loud voice stunned all shinobis and they turned their faces at him. So far, Sasuke was still gazing out towards the distance. "Just answer this question before you can continue: why are you here?" the raven-haired man asked them, still not looking over his shoulder to face them.

Suigetsu couldn't help but to scoff at his question. "Why we're here? Well, gee. Isn't that what we should be asking you?" the white-haired swordsman asked him, only to be pinched by Karin.

"We came here to see what you really were planning on doing coming here" Juugo told him, the orange-haired man also glancing out towards the distance. "From the looks of it, you plan on pursuing Saizo Uchiha and his cohorts. They are still hiding here somewhere" he then added to his assumption.

"We understand your desire to fight him…..but you must also realize…." Sai was interrupted by Sasuke speaking to him.

"Only I can stop him" the raven-haired man told Sai while making sure the others listened as well. "He is too dangerous for you to handle, let me have him. But you may take his cohorts…..as well as whoever this Toneri Otsutsuki is" he then said to the others.

"Already claiming bounty to yourself? Sorry, but sharing is caring, ex-criminal" Asami told him with her arms folded. "And besides, we from the Shadow Squad were tasked by Commander Yugao to keep an eye on you, making sure you never do anything outside your orders" the teal-haired woman pointed out to him.

Sasuke only grunted in reply. "Fine. Do as you wish. But stay away from Saizo Uchiha. He is mine" Sasuke told them in a slightly angered and irritated voice.

"You know something? I just had a great idea" Sai suddenly spoke up, thus catching everyone's attention. "If we begin searching, we may also be able to meet up with the Moon Expedition that Naruto leads. But then again, we are a rather large group. So how about we elect ourselves a leader? Any volunteers?" the pale-skinned man then suggested to them.

Asami, Hyozan and Yutaka all dropped their jaws listening to his announcement. "Are you seriously that deluded!? Why do we need a leader? You already have one" Hyozan asked Sai while pointing at Asami.

"True we may have that. But three leaders are too much. I say we only have one common leader that is a good coordinator" Sai insisted to them.

Yamato had to muse at this. "A wonderful suggestion, Sai. If there's only one leader, we can figure out our way around here easier. When we have three leaders, it also ends up disorganizing us" he spoke in favor of having this.

"Okay. So how do we elect this common leader?" Ittetsu asked.

"Simple. We first hear whether those volunteers are worthy of leading us" Mikoshi told him. "Normally I would nominate myself, but I've decided to let others have the pleasure of taking the mantle" the four-eyed Sand ninja said.

Without delay, Komaza, Suigetsu and Shito began raising their hands in the air, thus signalizing their volunteering. But for some reason, they were largely given dirty looks by their comrades. This made them surprised.

"What's wrong with me being the leader?" Suigetsu asked those of his Divine Division.

"You need to ask? The answer to that is painfully obvious, Suigetsu" Karin told him while adjusting her glasses.

"I am sorry, Suigetsu. But I will have to oppose your nomination" Juugo told him gently.

"You're too reckless and bloodthirsty to be given such responsibilities. And coupled with the fact that you're a sore loser" Hyozan said, thus angering Suigetsu.

"Screw you!" the swordsman swore at him.

"Care to tell me what I'm lacking as a leader" the voice came from Komaza, who was asking those of the Grim Guard.

"You leading us? Get real! The only thing you're good at is running your mouth endlessly" Sari told him while folding her arms.

"I am sorry, cousin. But I don't think you are leadership material just yet" Nejiri said while apologizing him at the same time.

"You're too cocky and lazy to be leader. Not to mention you're also a big crybaby who hides during fights" Yutaka told him.

"Ah, this is just bullshit! Here I'm offering to take the leadership and this is how you repay me!?" Komaza spat at his comrades.

"But seriously, guys. Why are you rejecting me?" Shito asked his comrades from the Shadow Squad.

"You're wondering why? Please, I didn't expect you to be THAT dumb" Tokuma berated him.

"Perhaps you should try figuring this out, yourself" Ensui suggested to Shito, although he wasn't getting him.

"You're too narcissistic and boastful. And your attitude is not what's needed for a leader" Tatsuma told him.

Shito was growing angry over hearing the opinions his comrades had over him. It felt somewhat insulting. "Oh, so I may be all chatty and all. But would you rather have that ragdoll Sasuke as leader!?" the chubby man asked her.

"Well, I would!" Ino told him while folding her arms. "You're too blind to even realize what leadership even means. So I'll nominate Sasuke for that position" the blonde-haired woman told him before glancing over to Sasuke with a smug look. He was still standing with his back towards them.

"Same here" Sai said while looking at Sasuke. "All of us can't deny he was benevolent in saving us from those raiders. So I take my chance on him" the pale-skinned man added.

"A wise suggestion" Yamato noted before looking at Sasuke. "I have a feeling that in this upcoming battle, whether it be Toneri or Saizo, he will be one of our greatest assets, alongside Naruto once we regroup with him and his Moon Expedition.

"I will have to cast my vote for Sasuke as well" Juugo said with a smile. "He is a good friend, and a good friend is someone you can trust" the tall, but calm-mannered man said.

More and more people began nominating Sasuke, including Mikoshi, Karin, Ittetsu, Tokuma and even Yutaka. Seeing this, reluctant voices such as Hyozan, Asami and Tatsuma gave their support for him as well.

Hearing all this, Sasuke turned around to finally face those who had now voted for him to be their leader. "You want me to be your leader until we meet Naruto? Fine, I will do that. I first wanted to know whether you wanted to be here on the Moon or not. But based upon what I hear, all of you are determined to do so" Sasuke told them before taking a brief glance at the forest below them. "I can't sense anything from up here, but I believe we should start looking for Naruto and the others at once. They may not be far away from here as we speak. But first we need to get down from this cliff" the raven-haired man told them.

Sai approached Sasuke with his trademark smile while holding up a pencil and one of his scrolls. "Allow me to solve that problem. I can make giant ink eagles that will take us flying across this unfamiliar environment. It may also be easier for us to locate Naruto and the Moon Expedition" Sai informed Sasuke.

Sasuke smiled lightly when hearing this. "Then by all means, do that. And make sure they are many and are strong enough to carry us" he told Sai.

"As you command, Sasuke" Sai told him and began drawing the giant eagles. With them, they would search the place for Naruto and his friends, in hopes of planning a move to deal with Toneri or Saizo once and for all.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: This chapter was mostly focused on Hinata. As I have previously mentioned, I sometimes think Masashi Kishimoto neglected Hinata as a character in Part II. That is why I decided to figure out something with her development, including how she would understand what love really is. In this story, I named Toneri's father Tenmu, after the real-life Emperor Tenmu, who was Prince Toneri's father. Now who is this Kenrojin really? And where are Saizo and his compatriots. I won't go into details about what the next chapter will be about, but I may delve more into how the situation on the Earth is going. Stay tuned for more.**


	21. Seeds of Hope

**Author's note: This chapter will take us back to see how Tsunade and the others are doing on the Earth with regards to the crisis. We will visit every Five Great Hidden Villages. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Seeds of Hope**

 _Somewhere in the Village Hidden in the Clouds, Land of Lightning_

In wake of the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Village Hidden in the Clouds retained its status as one of the strongest, with the reemerging Village Hidden in the Leaves being one its main competitors. The village, still governed by the Fourth Raikage: A, was formerly one of the driving forces behind planning the execution of Sasuke Uchiha, as well as the formation of the Allied Shinobi Forces. With the pardoning of Sasuke, the Cloud Village dropped its persecution of the Uchiha, thereby refocusing on rebuilding what was lost. But unfortunately, the Cloud Village would not experience the peace it had hoped for. The Raikage had secretly been hiding something from the entire world: an internal conflict within the Cloud Village itself.

Before the outbreak of the world war, the Sado clan was the most influential of them all in the Cloud Village. Their members were known to be experts in lightning based jutsus, while possessing their own Kekkei Genkai: the Kaminaraigan. It is said that both A and his father the Third Raikage had distant blood relations with the clan. But highly influential and having seats in the Cloud Council was not enough. They wanted more. It had also desired to conquer other hidden village, including the Stone and Leaf Villages. When the Leaf Village was almost destroyed by Pain, the Sado clan wanted the Raikage to invade it in retaliation for Sasuke's actions. But A disagreed with their methods and refrained from crossing that line, something which made him unpopular among the Sados. Although A had resented Sasuke in the past, including having lost his left hand to him in battle, the Raikage had decided to let go of his hatred towards Sasuke and forgive him, believing that Sasuke was in fact remorseful for his crimes. But then again, A himself would experience a lifechanging day, something which made him even forget Sasuke as a whole.

After the world war ended, the Sado clan planned a coup d'etat against the Cloud Village's leadership, including the Raikage and the Cloud Council. This move was inspired by the one the Uchiha clan sought to carry out in the Leaf Village years ago. Once they were in control of the village, they could then launch the campaign to bring other hidden villages under their control. The clan head at that time was Hyakushige Sado once a strong ally of the Fourth Raikage, as well as his childhood friend. The two had built a friendly rivalry as they both reached adulthood, especially when they competed each with their respective brothers: Killer B and Hiruko Sado. B and Hiruko grew up as childhood friends as well, despite the different personalities between the laidback B and the reserved Hiruko. Together, they would often compete between each other to be the best combo duo in the Cloud Village.

The Sado clan coup attempt presented a major issue for A as the Raikage. He knew that he had to put it down, given he was the leader and protector of the Cloud Village. But to avoid a full-scale conflict, which would only result in the loss of many human lives, a duel to the death took place between A and Hyakushige. It was a deadly duel that raged atop the mountains in the Land of Lightning. In the end, A won, but this was hardly a victory worth celebrating. The Raikage had killed one of his closest friends, for the sake of protecting the Cloud Village. Furthermore, he had to decide what to do with the Sado clan, who had just lost their leader. Due to the Cloud Village's participation in the Hashirama-agreement, A ruled out executing them. Therefore, he was left with no choice but to exile the clan from the village. They were never allowed to set foot in their home village again. While A had succeeded in ending the coup attempt, it came at a great price.

"Hyakushige….why?" the mighty Fourth Raikage lowly asked as A was now standing before a grave inside a cave. This grave belonged to none other than his dear childhood friend. "Why did it have to come to this?" A asked the grave once again.

Ever since that crucial day, A would often come and visit the grave of his friend. Guilt was now over A, as it was he who had killed Hyakushige. Thinking about this even made the mighty A cry, as tears were streaming from his eyes. He would never think that he would have to make choices like this, between his village or his best friend.

"Our fathers were comrades in arms, as were we. But was raw power truly worth pursuing? What about the bonds of friendship?" A asked, slowly starting to sob as he asked the grave of his best friend. "I thought we could continue this friendship to our deaths" he added to his sadness.

The Raikage could hear steps coming to him from behind, yet A didn't pay attention to it. He was still focused on the tombstone of Hyakushige Sado. Those who had entered the cave were two close confidants of A: the easygoing Darui and the serious Cee. But they weren't the only ones. Also joining them was none other than Killer B, a Jinchuuriki and a hero of the Cloud Village. They all approached A, yet refrained from touching him.

"Lord Raikage. What a relief" Cee spoke up, trying to not raise the volume of his voice. "We were hoping we would find you here" the blonde-haired man added.

"The Cloud Council was anxious to know you were still here, so we decided to prove them by bringing you back" Darui said, before something hit in his head. "But then again, you don't have to answer to the council, boss. They only wanted to know whether you were doing okay in times like these. We can go back and tell them you're still here" he then said while scratching the back of his head nervously.

"I will always be here in the Cloud Village, Darui. Never forget that" A reminded his subordinates before letting out a deep sigh. "But sometimes, it feels good to walk outside and let the stress go away. In this place, I will always find comfort and peace" the Raikage told them.

Killer B only shrugged his shoulders. "Hmmm, isn't it too late to be seeking comfort and peace at a time like this? The Moon's coming down on us, ya fool" the rapper and poet told his adoptive brother what they were up against.

A looked over his shoulder to face B. "I have the situation under control, B! With our Chakra Cannons, we should be able to defend ourselves. It's just Tsunade and that damn Moon Expedition of hers!" he spoke up with his commanding voice and it rang bells in the cave.

"I know, chill!" B tried to calm A down. "Listen, I'm happy you're giving Naruto and his homies a chance to sort this out. You know how the kind of guy he is. Didn't you see what he did during the war, fool?" he then spoke up about Naruto.

"But to what end!? By only delaying the inevitable!? This is a worldwide crisis! Actions speak louder than words! Never forget that!" the Raikage raised his voice once again.

"Why do you gotta give up hope so easily!?" B asked, this time getting more confrontational with his brother, which was a rare thing for him to do. "You dumbass fool! You're acting as if hope isn't a powerful thing, ya know!" the rapper added to his statement.

A got into B's face, the two powerful men facing each other sternly. "Hope isn't enough to save the world! If we do nothing! We are all gonna die!" A spoke up, yet B stood his ground.

Darui and Cee were incredibly worried for the two, as they watched it from the sidelines. But they could not let this verbal confrontation escalate into a physical one, so they decided to intervene, in hopes of mending the two brothers.

"Lord Raikage. Lord Jinchuuriki. Please don't fight! We need the two of you on the same side" Cee insisted to them.

"Yeah. Take a chill pill or whatever. Both of you need to calm the fuck down" Darui tried his best to mediate between A and B.

After having this glaring competition, A turned away from his brother. "I don't have time for this nonsense. Return to my office and tell the Cloud Council I will be there shortly. They are more than capable of standing tall in this crisis on their own" the Raikage told them sternly. "And make sure the Chakra Cannons are outside and operational. When the meteorite comes, we will do whatever it takes to protect the Earth" A told both Cee and Darui.

The two subordinates nodded their heads as a yes. "As you command, Lord Raikage" Cee said as he and Darui both nodded their heads at him in return.

But B was not finished with his brother yet. "But what about Naruto and the Moon Expedition? You're not firing those damn cannons at the Moon! Pronto!" B told him strictly, only for A to once again turn around and show his strict expression.

"I have already agreed to give them time, B! But if it's too late, we will fire the cannons! And then we must concentrate on defeating the giant meteorites that will appear once the Moon is destroyed!" A told B while making sure Cee and Darui got this as well.

"Damn bro! You realize how batshit crazy you sound right now!?" the famed Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tails asked the Raikage. "Not only do you destroy the Moon, but you kill Naruto and his homies as well, fool! After all he's done, this is how you….." B was shut by A's enraging voice.

"DON'T MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF!" A roared, thus shutting his brother up completely. He soon sighed and lowered the volume of his voice. "I am this village's leader. And as such, I will do anything to protect it. Therefore, I won't be judged for defending the Cloud Village, let alone saving the world" A told B, his voice starting to feel less aggressive.

"Lord Raikage. It's best if me and Darui head back and inform the Cloud Council about where you are" Cee suggested to his leader.

A weakly nodded his head in reply. "Very well. Then inform the council that I'll be back shortly. I just need some time to reflect for a moment" the Raikage told them in a calmer tone, which only signaled how he had softened over the last few years.

Knowing better than to keep the Cloud Council waiting, Cee and Darui immediately headed outside to let them know of what their Raikage was up to. But B remained with A, the two adoptive brothers now glancing at the grave of Hyakushige. It was a silent moment between the two of them, since neither of them made a noise. But B broke it when he decided to ask A.

"You still regret what happened that day, huh?" B lowly asked the Fourth Raikage, yet he wasn't given an answer. "Well, I do that too. Things got pretty out of hand, and neither of us were able to stop it. A pretty damn shame, I must say" he added, still remembering what happened the day the Sado clan coup attempt failed.

"Don't try to humor or sugarcoat it, B" the low and regretful voice of A could be heard. "If you think that I took pleasure in ending this threat by defeating Hyakushige…then you're sadly mistaking" the powerful shinobi said, being on the verge of crying once again.

"I ain't trying to humor or sugarcoat anything. And you think you're the only one who lost a friend that day, huh?" B told his brother, thinking about someone he had known since childhood. "You fool. Because of your actions, Hiruko now also resents you. But he even resents me more, given that I "failed to hold you accountable" as he told me. It's no use trying to seek his forgiveness now. He'll never forgive us. And even if the entire village apologized to him, he wouldn't have bought it" the Jinchuuriki explained about Hiruko, who was Hyakushige's younger brother.

"You think I don't know that?" A asked B in a stern manner. The two brothers were still watching the tombstone. "He alone won't be the only Sado who will come to hate this village. The rest of the clan will follow as well. But as you said, the one most affected by this exile is Hiruko. I heard he had already fathered two boys not long ago" the Raikage then began speaking about the man whom B had once known.

Being a duo, A and B would often compete with Hyakushige and Hiruko, thus developing a natural respect for each other. This would last until before the times before the world war, when relations between the Cloud Village and the Sado clan soured.

Killer B could notice A suddenly moving out of the cave, thus surprising him. It would seem that the melancholy on the Raikage had vanished, as he would now concentrate on protecting the world from the Moon. A stopped to look at B one more time.

"Let's go, B. It's time we headed back home. The villagers need us" A told him before proceeding to exit the cave.

B looked at the grave one last time before heading out. Surprisingly, he gave it his trademark power gesture with his right hand. The Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tailed Ox smiled at the one who was resting peacefully inside this cave.

"No matter what happens. I'll look after A, just as I promised you, Hyakushige" B told the grave before leaving it to catch up with A. Now as he ran outside, B glanced up to see the Moon. "Go get him, Naruto! I'm rooting for ya. We all are!" he told his fellow Jinchuuriki before heading back to the village.

* * *

 _At the top of the Hokage Tower, Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

Tsunade was now observing a satellite being erected on the top, in hopes of getting better signal to communicate with Naruto and the Moon Expedition. Looking up, Tsunade could see how the Moon was moving, albeit slowly. She was now accompanied by Shizune, Kakashi, Kurenai and other important allies of her, including the astronomers. Having just been informed about what had happened to the Shadow Squad, the Hokage know felt it was important to get in touch to see how Naruto was doing.

"Commander Yugao and Captain Ibiki said what?" Shizune asked her superior. "You say some members of the Shadow Squad entered the secret portal that existed on the Island of Tides, alongside members of the Divine Division and the Grim Guard?" she questioned her once again.

"Correct. And this only confirms our suspicions. There exists another portal that leads to the Moon, albeit differently from the one that exists in the Land of Fire" Tsunade told her, her eyes never leaving sight of the Moon. "But that being said, the three hooded criminals are now at the Moon, where Naruto and the Moon Expedition is currently dealing with Toneri Otsutsuki and his machinations. That is why we need to get in contact with them to see how the situation is going so far" the blonde-haired woman told her.

Shizune nodded her head, accepting the Hokage's wishes. "As you wish, Lady Tsunade" she told him.

"But something really struck me from what Yugao and Ibiki told us" Kakashi began speaking up. "It is true, one of these hooded men was an Uchiha. While another was a Sado. I can't believe my ears" the white-haired man remarked.

"No need for you to start searching, Kakashi. I've already dispatched the Cryptanalysis Team to figure out the identities of these hooded criminals. But right now, our main priority should be the Moon Expedition. As such, I have ordered both the Shadow Squad and the Interrogation Squad return to the Leaf Village as soon as possible. The Kazekage and the Mizukage has done the same thing with the Grim Guard and the Divine Division respectively" Tsunade informed Kakashi and her other assistants. She then fixed a smug look at Kakashi. "It seems Sasuke was the first one to jump into the new portal. He probably wanted to pursue that Uchiha. No wonder why Yugao and Ibiki were acting rather cold towards you" she told the masked man.

Kakashi recalled what he had heard both Yugao and Ibiki say. Both had been furious to know Sasuke had vanished without their consent. However, Ibiki was even more furious over the fact Ino had followed him to the Moon. She was the only one of the Interrogation Squad to do that. As such, Ibiki was now acting quite cold towards Kakashi.

He sighed deeply in annoyance. "I know they were. But like it or not, I can't decide what Sasuke does. No one can. Only he can control his own actions" Kakashi told Tsunade. "And besides, if members of the Shadow Squad such as Asami, Sai and Yamato followed Sasuke into the portal as well, then it is up to them along with the others to watch over him. Wasn't that part of the conditions of letting Sasuke join the Shadow Squad?" he questioned the Hokage.

Tsunade smiled at him in a more supporting manner than usual. "Glad to see you still remember it, Kakashi. While you would indeed be a perfect Hokage, I understand why you declined the offer" she revealed to him, causing the masked man to cook an eyebrow at him in return. "You don't have too feel guilty. You're not the first one to be in that position. Jiraiya was there once, remember?" Tsunade insisted to the jounin.

Kakashi's mind was drifting back into the past. It was during the time when his teacher: Minato Namikaze was made the Fourth Hokage instead of Jiraiya. Almost everyone had expected the famed sage to become that, but he declined and rather recommended Minato for the job. Kakashi could now see what Jiraiya had done at that time.

"Yes. I have figured out that becoming Hokage does not only require skills and talents from a powerful mentor such as Minato-sensei or Jiraiya. It also requires…acknowledgment" Kakashi spoke up, recalling the time when he declined the offer to become the Sixth Hokage. He looked up to the Moon while telling his comrades about this. "If I ever became Hokage, I would not just rely on skill and reputation alone to lead it. You must also have something else…something which I never really possessed…a strong willpower. The only one I know who possessed that, let alone opened my former eyes to what it really was, is Naruto. That is why I have entrusted the future of the Leaf Village to him. And I will do anything in my power to make him a better leader than what anyone before him ever were" the masked man was speaking highly of one of his students, having been mentored by Naruto's father during his youth.

"There is nothing we can disagree with you on that, Kakashi" Kurenai spoke up, the crimson-eyed woman also admiring Naruto's willpower. "Even my students look up to him. If only Kiba himself can let go of his stubbornness that is" she then added while letting out a sigh when mentioning her impulsive student from the Inuzuka clan.

"Believe me, Kurenai. Deep down, Kiba respects Naruto. It's just that he's been getting all worked up with what has happened recently. You know how he and Hinata were now starting to develop this relationship of theirs" Kakashi told his fellow jounin, who had to smile when hearing him say that.

"I guess you're right. Who would ever disrespect someone like Naruto?" Kurenai remarked, musing to herself over that fact. "Especially not Hinata, considering how he was once an inspiration for her, not to mention she dated him for a brief period. But in the end, Hinata realized that Naruto had outgrown her and that she no longer felt the same thing about him. That is why they ended their relationship, yet remained the best of friends" she then began explaining how Hinata and Naruto were dating, yet the relationship didn't work out.

"Then it's a good thing that Kiba has stepped in to fill that void" Kakashi told his fellow jounin. The masked man proceeded to glance up to the Moon, as did those who were standing around him. "But now's not the time to be dwelling on that. Many of the Leaf Village's heroes and defenders are up there risking their lives. It's about time we also did that since we're here protecting the Leaf Village" he then suggested.

"Well said, Kakashi. I couldn't have said it better myself" Tsunade expressed her admiration of Kakashi's will before looking at the satellite that was being erected. "Once we get that thing operational, we should be able to contact Naruto and the others. But we must not forget what the Moon can do on it's way to the Earth. When the meteorites come, we must stand vigilant" the blonde-haired woman told everyone.

"Lady Tsunade, so far, the evacuation of civilians is going perfectly" Shizune told her superior with a hint of relief on her voice, having just been informed about this from two jounins that just arrived: Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamiki. "It may be a little chaotic, but such are to be expected" she added.

Tsunade faced both Kotetsu and Izumo with satisfaction. "Glad to hear it. And I take it you're not overseeing it alone, correct" the Hokage questioned to two.

"We've been helped by Ebisu and his students. They're doing a fine job" Kotetsu revealed to her. "And the same thing can be said for Iruka Umino. He along with Iwana Akame, Daikoku Funeno, Dango Mitsuki, Yatago Ryugen and Tsuzumi Sarugaku are doing well in evacuating the youngest villagers. Heck, they've also offered to take care of the oldest while we deal with the rest of the civilians" the man with the bandage running across his face informed her.

"And all the clans of the Leaf Village are assisting as well" Izumo pointed out. "Even though we don't have the Hyuugas right now, the Akimichis, Aburames, Naras, Yamanakas and the Inuzukas each contributes greatly this evacuation" he added to his explanation.

"Phenomenal work. Based on what I'm hearing, the progress is great. I suggest you continue helping the evacuation. But be on your guard. When the time comes, all able-bodied shinobis of the Leaf must be prepared to defend it. I also have a feeling that the clans will be needed for the protection of the Leaf Village. I will summon you back to my side when the situation requires it. But until then, keep up the good work out there!" Tsunade told them.

"YES MA'AM!" both Kotetsu and Izumo said in unison before vanishing from her sight. Tsunade then returned her focus on setting up the satellite.

For some reason, Kurenai was sighing deeply and her comrades took notice of it. "I'm not in the slightest worried about the lack of shinobis to defend the village. I'm more worried about those who are defenseless, including my son. But thank God, he's safe with Konohamaru and his friends" she said, feeling relieved over the fact that her son was safe. "Speaking of my son, is Anko around here as well?" she questioned Kakashi.

The masked man closed his eyes for brief seconds while listening to this. "She said she would come here as soon as Bunko was safe. I've heard that they both left the village to go one a trip. Bad timing, I must say" Kakashi answered Kurenai.

"Hmmm you don't say" the crimson-eyed woman remarked smugly after hearing this. But she soon returned her gaze to the Moon. "But even if we are evacuating the defenseless, it won't spare them from the Moon reaching us. All that we can hope is for the Moon Expedition to stop the madman who controls it and rescue Hinata and the Hyuugas. I just pray to God they're doing okay up there" Kurenai added, still feeling worried about the condition of her shy student and her family. "Hinata…...wherever you are…...be strong. That's what you always surpassed both Kiba and Shino with. Your strength is your greatest weapon, as much as you fail to realize it yourself. And as for you, Kiba and Shino. Promise me that you along with Hinata will make it down from that place alive. I can't bear to watch more shinobis being buried…especially after the world war" she was secretly pleading for her students to stay strong in that unfamiliar environment.

Kakashi had himself taken notice of Kurenai's behavior and he also had to admit he himself thought about his students, especially Naruto and Sasuke. "I pray that you two will unite to deal with whoever this Toneri is. And please make sure that Sakura comes with you alive. If not, she will definitely not forgive either of you" the masked man mused to himself while thinking about his students being on the Moon.

* * *

 _Inside the Mizukage's office, the Village Hidden in the Mist, Land of Water_

Since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, the shinobis of the Hidden Mist Village could not only be relieved over having no more dangerous enemies to fight against, they could also focus on rebuilding its stability as a village. As such, they would try to put behind the painful past during the era of the Bloody Mist. Under the leadership of the Fifth Mizukage: Mei Terumi, the Mist ninjas believed that a new village was beyond the horizon, especially since it had opened up economically to the villages they had made better relations with: the Leaf Village and the Sand Village. As such, change was guaranteed. That was until the current crisis that was affecting the entire world.

The Mist Village, being located in the Land of Water, had a perfect view of the skies and the moonlights even managed to shine through the mists that dotted the village. In a way, it was both wonderful and scary for the civilians to see at the same time. People were getting uncomfortable and many of the islands the Land of Water was composed of had been evacuated. But still, the people of the Mist remained in their home, not willing to give up the battle of protecting the village they desperately wanted to change. It was their home and they would defend it.

Right ow, Mei was having a meeting in her office. Her most trusted associate: Chojuro was present, as were other high-ranking politicians of the Mist Village. The reason was that the infamous commander of the secret branch within the village's ANBU Black Ops called the Divine Division had now returned. Shachi Arashiro was now standing there along with other members of the group, like Ganryu, Kiri and Ruka. Apparently, the Mizukage had heard about what happened on the Triple Entente's mission to the Island of Tides. As such, she had summoned them back, and Shachi was now filling in for what happened.

"And that's how they vanished" the man with the metallic helmet informed Mei, his voice ringing hollow through the office. "Hyozan Ishiwata, Suigetsu Hozuki, Karin and Juugo all pursued Sasuke Uchiha through the portal we discovered inside the Island of Tides itself. It's most certain that they are on the Moon as we speak" he added to his explanation.

Mei had so far been listening, and her expression remained the same. "I see. I'm surprised how they had the guts to do this" the brunette told him before forming a smirk with her lips. "We may have to give them a little "punishment" once they return from the Moon. They did disobey an order after all" Mei suggested to Shachi. A chuckle could be heard from Shachi, indicating that Mei had humored him.

"Who cares about where Hyozan and Suigetsu are!?" the slightly paranoid voice came from Chojuro, the four-eyed man feeling distressed as he faced Shachi. "You said who the identity of this Azure Dragon was….Nagisa Sorui…..we're doomed!" he then exclaimed out of fear.

Shachi only folded his arms when seeing this. "What is it that is so scary about him?" he asked the Mizukage's assistant.

Hearing this only infuriated Chojuro further. "Are you kidding me!? You've forgotten about what kind of people those of the Sorui clan are!?" the four-eyed man snapped at the man wearing metallic mask, yet Shachi remained calm. "They are said to be the masters of the ocean! There are rumors that say members of the clan can talk to fish, let alone raise tsunamis without relying on nearby water!" Chojuro spoke up, his entire body shivering with fear, as well as sweating intensively.

Shachi was far from impressed when seeing Chojuro's antics. He let out a sigh of annoyance. "And this fool thinks he can become Mizukage one day? He has a lot to learn" he remarked, still not getting why Mei had high hopes for the four-eyed swordsman.

"Calm yourself, Chojuro. This is no time for us to be driven insane by urban legends. Whether or not the Sorui clan are capable of such abilities remains to be seen officially. But until then, they're just rumors" Mei told his assistant. "But then again, Nagisa was supposed to be dead. I understand that he died during a duel against Mangetsu Hozuki Yet he's still alive. Something doesn't seem to add up" the Mizukage remarked while thinking about this subject.

"I have dug up some important files that existed among the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist" Shachi revealed to her and the other high-ranking politicians. "You may have forgotten it, but not long after Nagisa's death, Mangetsu died as well. The small gap between their deaths seem to be linked in some way" he pointed out.

"Meaning that Nagisa was responsible for Mangetsu's death?" Chojuro asked him.

"I never said it was. But then again, given that Nagisa never really died that day, it could be a possibility" Shachi clarified his statement. The man with the metallic helmet then glanced around, eyeing the other politicians with his glowing azure eyes. "For all we know, Nagisa and his accomplices are now on the Moon somewhere. And as such, we best concentrate on the Moon. That blonde-haired bandit will have to wait" he then suggested to those around him.

Whisperings could be heard amongst the politicians, as they all began to speculate whether it was such a good idea to write off Nagisa so easy. However, Mei seemed more than pleased with this suggestion, fixing her azure eyes upon Shachi.

"Spoken like a true strategist, Shachi Arashiro. It sounds like a wise decision to me" Mei mused to herself over hearing the commander's suggestion. The Fifth Mizukage then faced everyone in her office. "Now as all of you may know, the Five Great Hidden Villages, minus the Cloud Village, has all given Tsunade's Moon Expedition their backing. We all see the value of the expedition, given that it's leader is Naruto Uzumaki. Therefore, we all trust that he will deal with the threat Toneri Otsutsuki pose" she informed them and once again, whisperings were heard amongst the politicians.

"Heh, heh, a wise decision, young Mei" the old and chuckling voice came from one of the most respected politicians of the Mist: Genji. He was an elder of the village, and considered to be the wisest of them all, having spent his entire life dedicating himself in the service of the Mist Village. As such, he was considered to be one of the greatest advisors to the Mizukage. Despite Genji being 92 years old now, he still refused to spend the rest of his days in retirement. He would serve the Mist Village until his dying breath, something he was greatly revered for. "That Naruto Uzumaki….is without a doubt a great inspiration for each and every one of us as shinobis. That is without question" Genji said before he started coughing, forcing the shinobis to come over to his side to help him.

Even the usually reserved Shachi stood with Genji and brought him a cup of water. "Elder…..please, drink this" the man with the helmet told him, yet Genji only chuckled to hear his concern.

"Eh, no need to worry about me, young Shachi. I may be old…but I am not helpless!" he said before chuckling, resulting him to cough once again. Once he took a sip from that cup, Genji was feeling much better.

Mei only smiled as the old man glanced at her with a smile of his own. "I humbly appreciate your guidance, elder. What would we do without you?" she expressed her admiration of Genji, given how she had always sought out his counsel with regards to the Mist Village's interests, like the Five Kage Summit a couple of years ago, as well as the formation of the Triple Entente with the Leaf Village and the Sand Village.

"Lady Mei, if I may interrupt" Chojuro began speaking to her and Mei focused on him. "If Hyozan and the other Divine Division members did in fact enter the secret portal and are on the Moon, then that means they're there along with the Moon Expedition, assuming they have stumbled upon each other that is" the four-eyed man told the Mizukage while she listened.

"I know, Chojuro. And that is another reason for why we must not let that stubborn Raikage fire those Chakra Cannons on the Moon" Mei said, making sure everyone got her loud and clear. "As much as I want to personally go over there and destroy the cannons, we can't do that. A is determined to destroy the Moon if necessary" she informed them all.

"That Fourth Raikage has gone insane! What is he thinking!?" the swordsman Ganryu spoke up. "Destroying the Moon, that would only leave a giant meteorite, which would then procced towards the Earth. I swear, he has changed since what happened after the war" he went on expressing his disdain for A.

"By that, I assume you mean the Sado clan coup attempt" Kiri asked his comrade, and he could tell that by the look of his face. "Right. That episode has pretty much damaged his image in the world. People now see him as some kind of strict ruler who would resort to killing a leader and exiling a clan to solve a problem. He made humanitarian crisis because of that" the Mist ninja added to his disbelief.

Feeling that she could not be silent amidst this talk, Mei decided to step in and stop this backtalking. "Ganryu, Kiri, let me tell you something" she firmly said and both shinobis looked at her with raised eyebrows. "You can have whatever opinions you want of A, but you know better than to backtalk someone" the Mizukage spoke up.

"Lady Mei…" Ganryu uttered out those words slowly.

"What are you….." Kiri was also confused by why Mei was berating those two.

"I'm just telling you this for your own good. Talking trash about A won't get us nowhere near him" Mei informed the two members of the Divine Division while facing her desk. "But then again, I harbor no love for him either. And his handling of the Sado clan coup attempt was disgraceful. And he has yet to make up for his errors" the Mizukage remarked as she thought about the Fourth Raikage.

Chojuro adjusted his glasses. "I think the Sado clan coup attempt was one of the main reasons the Cloud Village started to draw itself more inward. I mean, he had broken the main principle of the Hashirama-agreement" he told her superior.

Mei sighed when she heard him say that. "Yes. I suppose it could be" she told him. Mei was now wishing to have everyone's attention once again. "But we have more pressing matters to worry about. The surrounding islands of the Land of Water may have started their evacuations, but we of the Mist Village will stay here and protect our home! I swore an oath to carry out my duties as the Fifth Mizukage. And I intend on keeping that promise. I believe in change. And a change in the Mist Village will make us all forget the horrible past and move on to the future. No madman who controls the Moon's movement is gonna prevent us from changing the village! So what do all of you say? Are we in this together or not?" the Mizukage was determined to let her subordinates and allies know if they were willing to follow her until the end.

The first one was Shachi, holding up his knives and saluting himself before her. "I'm with you, Mizukage. You can count on me" he told her.

"I'm too!" the determined but geeky voice came from Chojuro, although those in the office had to resist laughing at his meekness.

"Long live, Mei Terumi, Fifth Mizukage of the Village Hidden in the Mist" the elderly voice came from Genji, the old man still having enough strength to speak.

Mei was completely satisfied by hearing these praises and pledges of loyalty. "Good. Then let's get on with this mess" she said to them smugly.

* * *

 _Inside the Kazekage's office, Village Hidden in the Sand, Land of Wind_

Gaara was now having his own meeting with his closest advisors. Ever since Shikamaru had joined the Moon Expedition, Temari had returned to the Sand Village, in hopes of assisting her brother with the protection of the villagers. Everyone who lived in the Sand Village had a clear view of the sky, especially now since there was no sandstorm. The Fifth Kazekage had learned about what happened with some members of the Grim Guard from a letter sent by Baki. He had yet to return home from the Island of Tides. But Gaara had been stunned to hear, and had called over Ebizo to share his news.

Around Gaara's desk stood Kankuro, Temari, Matsuri and Ebizo. They all wanted to hear what message the Kazekage had received from Baki and they were all stunned to hear what the Commander of the Grim Guard had written.

"THEY WHAT!?" Kankuro asked as his jaw almost hit the floor over hearing what Gaara had to say. "THERE'S ANOTHER PORTAL TO THE MOON ON THE LAND OF TIDES? BUT WORST OF ALL…THE NEWBIES OF THE GRIM GUARD…..THEY WENT THROUH IT!?" he then asked in outrage.

Gaara calmly nodded his head towards his brother. "I am afraid it is true, Kankuro. Apparently, the thee hooded criminals the Triple Entente was pursuing went through the portal. And given that those newcomers were near it, they chose to pursue them. Yutaka is with them, but Sari, Ittetsu, Mikoshi, Komaza and Nejiri are also on the Moon as we speak" the Kazekage informed them, much to their shock.

Temari slammed her handpalms on the table, yet Gaara remained unfazed. "This is preposterous! How the hell can they simply ignore Baki's command and go chase a trio of thugs!?" she asked out loud. "With the exception being Yutaka, none of them have enough experience in the ANBU Black Ops! At this rate, they've walked straight into a viper's nest!" Temari added to her frustration.

"Yeah. This is indeed terrible" Matsuri noted while feeling very uncrtain about how to cope with this. She looked at Gaara. "Lord Gaara, where there any other members who entered that portal? I mean, what about Satetsu, Isago and Maki?" the brunette asked him.

"They are with Baki, that I can confirm. The same thing can be said of Shira, Sen and Yome" the red-haired man assured her and the others. But Gaara began moving over to look at Ebizo, wanting to know whether the elder was feeling uncomfortable hearing this. "Honored Grandfather…..whatever you are thinking, I am sorry for what has happened to your grandsons I cannot imagine how painful it must feel" he told him.

The old man looked at the Kazekage, surprisingly smiling at Gaara. "Now who ever said it was your fault, Lord Kazekage? You didn't force them into going through the portal" he told the Kazekage before sighing deeply to himself. "Yes, my grandsons have free will, yet they have done a foolish mistake as to travel to the Moo. I am especially concerned for Komaza given how impulsive he is" Ebizo expressed his feelings about this unexpected episode.

Kankuro was now glancing out the window to see what was happening outside. He looked up to the Moon, which shined on everything in the Sand Village, not just it's buildings. "Damn. Each day the Moon keeps getting closer to the Earth. And now we've got some Grim Guard members stuck up there" he noted with a scowl before turning around to face his younger brother. "Hey Gaara. It's a good thing you voted against the Fourth Raikage's suggestion to blow that damned thing up in bits. Otherwise, I don't know whether he would've killed whoever's up there" Kankuro told him.

"So that means all the Five Kages know about the Moon Expedition led by Naruto, yes?" Temari asked Gaara who calmly nodded his head at her. "Well, Shikamaru has been appointed as his second-in-command, so they're probably off to a good start up there" the dark blonde-hared woman told those around her.

"Indeed. And I am willing to put my trust in Naruto and his ability to end this crisis. But I pray that we're not too late before A decides to unleash his Chakra Cannons" Gaara informed all of his advisors.

"That hotheaded son of a bitch! Why should we even listen to him!?" Kankuro asked his siblings. "For all we know, that bastard broke the Hashirama-agreement when he resorted to killing to stop the Sado clan coup attempt. There's no way in hell that we need to do as he says" he added.

"Kankuro, enough of your smartass talks" Temari told him, thus shutting him off. "True, what he did was a mistake, but that does not mean he's a bad guy" she insisted to her brother.

Kankuro responded by folding his arms and snorted. "Tch, well it doesn't mean he's forgiven either" the puppet master told Temari, still feeling distaste towards A.

"Temari has a point" Gaara spoke up, thus surprising Kankuro. But Matsuri or Ebizo were never surprised to hear that at least. "I fought alongside all the Kages during the world war, I know each of them. And the Triple Entente was not established as a military alliance between the Sand, Leaf and Mist Villages against the Cloud and Stone Villages. It was a cooperation to battle crime and injustice within our borders. Never forget that" the Fifth Kazekage pointed out, thus making Kakuro see the bigger picture.

"We all know that, Lord Gaara" Matsuri spoke up, her mouth slowly curving itself into a smile. "You also said the Triple Entente will become quite beneficial when dealing with domestic issues. That and the sharing info part between the Grim Guard, Shadow Squad and Divine Division only makes it more tempting to continue with it" she told the Kazekage.

Gaara had to smile when hearing Matsuri say that. "I am glad you see the value of it, Matsuri. And soon, the rest of the Sand Council will that as well" he told her before facing Ebizo.

"It's not that the Sand Council opposes this cooperation, Lord Kazekage. But some of the councilmen are slightly worried about the Grim Guard sharing intel with it's sister organizations in the Leaf and Mist Villages" the elderly man told him. "Please be a little more understanding towards their concerns" Ebizo then advised Gaara.

Hearing this made Gaara roll his eyes slightly. "I will let them know as soon as I can" he assured Ebizo. "Now listen up, everyone. While Komaza, Yutaka and the others may be on the Moon, there is some hope that they will make it out alive. Once they regroup with the Moon Expedition, they will be able to defeat Toneri Otsutsuki and end his madness. Therefore, I believe that there is hope to avert this crisis" the Kazekage informed them.

Temari had to smirk when hearing this. "I know. With a smartass such as Shikamaru being with them, they are bound to figure out something" she remarked before something hit in her head. "Oh, that reminds me. Remember to always watch the Armageddon Countdown Clock the Hokage gave you. It will help you in knowing the situation better" she told him.

"I will, Temari. I will" Gaara assured his sister.

* * *

 _Inside the Tsuchikage's office, Village Hidden in the Stones, Land of Earth_

Like the Cloud Village, the Stone Village was also quite distant and isolated from the other hidden villages. Located somewhere in the mountainous and rugged terrain of the Land of Earth, the village was built in a valley. The rocky mountain ranges that surrounded the village provided a natural stronghold that the Stone ninjas were very proud of. The village's infrastructure was built from much of the surrounding rock and stone, shaped into tower-like structures that were inter-connected by a network of bridges. In a way, this village was similar to the Cloud Village and the Sand Village, although compared to the Sand Village, the Stone Village had not yet improved it's living conditions.

The building where the Tsuchikage resided was the tallest structure with a cone-shaped roof on top of it. There resided Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage. Despite his old age, the tiny stubbornly held onto his mantle, refusing to step down in favor of a new leader. Although he was popular among the Stone ninjas, especially for his actions during the world war, Onoki was now getting older as the years passed by. And the Tsuchikage himself had made poor choices in the past, such as hiring mercenaries, criminal gangs and terrorists to further the Stone Village's interests. Among them were the Akatsuki.

While the Stone Village's participation in the world war had redeemed them from it's wrong choices in the past, peace had not yet come to the Land of Earth yet. The war had taken a toll on the nation's economy and it affected the Stone Village as well. That, coupled with Onoki's traditionalist policies, prevented the village to either grow or modernize itself. The Stone ninjas envied the transformations that had begun in the other Five Great Hidden Villages. So in the wake of the war, the Stone Village and the country drew more inward, just as they had done before the Five Kage Summit.

Right now, Onoki was now on his way to a meeting, accompanied by two of his trusted associates: the jovial and laidback Akatsuchi and Onoki's granddaughter Kutotsuchi. Having accompanied the Third Tsuchikage on various trips, they still continued to be his assistants. Onoki greatly appreciated their help, although he rejected their advices when it came about him stepping down.

"We are almost there" Onoki said while stopping before the door that lead to the room he was having the meeting in. The tiny man turned around to look at his associates with his usual stern eyes. "Now remember, if you want to say something, please raise your hand. Speaking without permission is disrespectful to the Stone Council" he told them both.

Akatsuchi responded by giving Onoki a thumb gesture. "You got it, sir. I'll do my best" he cheerfully told him.

Kurotsuchi had to facepalm when seeing Akatsuchi's personality. "Honestly, Akatsuchi. When are you gonna give up on that nice guy act of yours?" the black-haired woman asked her.

"Nice guy act? You're only sticking your head in the sand again, Kurotsuchi" the tall man told his colleague.

Onoki chose to ignore their antics and proceeded to enter the door without hesitation. Seeing him enter, Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi soon followed him. The old man smiled once he could see the table where the Stone Village's elders and other prominent figures had already been seated. At the edge of the table was a chair reserved for Onoki.

"Stone Council. How delight I am to see you once again" Onoki spoke up, his elderly voice disguising his bad-tempered attitude. "Forgive me for not arriving here faster. But you know how these old bones can't take much as they used to during my prime" the Tsuchikage tried to play humor with them, yet they all glanced at him with stony glances. None of them thought it was funny.

Cursing himself, Onoki found his seat and faced those who had gathered around him. Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi each stood beside his seat. They had to guard him, as well as the other elders who had showed up for the meeting. These men wore the same clothes as Onoki and were considered to be the most influential of politicians in the Stone Village.

There was the elder with grey hair that reached to his shoulders, as well as having a grey moustache underneath his nose. This was Kenshi, one of the more arrogant and stubborn elders. He and Onoki shared similar personalities. Another elder had curly white hair and a long beard that stretched from his chin. This was Mitaki, who was one of the calmer of the elders. The tallest of the elders, the one with the shaved head on the top, was Ishiyama. The eldest of the elders, the one with curly hair on the sides while being bald on his head was Yakin. He was technically older than Onoki.

"Why have you called for this meeting, Onoki? What good is there to have one when you arrive late as usual?" Kenshi sternly asked him.

Onoki grunted in reply. "Oh, shut your trap. We all the importance of the Stone Council. You may want to reconsider that statement as well, Kenshi" the Tsuchikage told him.

Kenshi only rolled his eyes and pretended he never heard what Onoki said to him.

"We gather you have summoned us for a discussion about the recent talk you had with the other Kages regarding this crisis" Mitaki told him, recalling what he had heard. "The Cloud Village has already readied their Chakra Cannons, preparing to destroy the Moon if necessary. I must say that the Fourth Raikage is ludicrous" he told his fellow elders.

"Yes. But we Kages did have a vote on whether to destroy it now or not. And of course, I voted against it" Onoki informed him. "One can never know the consequences of destroying something as large as the Moon. The Earth will soon be attacked by meteorites. Destroying the Moon may only cause bigger meteorites to fall upon us. That is a gamble I am not willing to take" he informed them.

"But can we trust Tsunade's Moon Expedition to end this global threat?" the voice came from Yakin. "So far, the Moon has not slowed down since we were informed about this expedition. And what if it were to fail in stopping whoever that madman is?" he then told them.

"I agree" Yamaishi said while clenching his fists. "Naruto Uzumaki deserves respect as a great hero, but this is not like the war we all fought in. Here, the end of the world is upon yes, yet we do nothing to prevent it. In this scenario, actions speak louder than words" the tall elder said.

All the elders began turning their attention on Onoki. "We hope we can trust your judgement, Onoki. But as the situation currently stands now, the people are afraid. They need guidance. They need determination" Mitaki informed the Tsuchikage.

"Agreed. And we all know that hope alone will not save the world. Actions will also" Kenshi said before narrowing his eyes at Onoki. "Know this, Onoki. We will give the Leaf Village's Moon Expedition a chance. But if times runs out, we will have to make our own move and not rely on Tsunade or the other Kages" he told him.

Onoki slowly nodded his head as a yes. "That's what I told the Kages back then. And I know for a fact that I won't be alone in proposing it. The Raikage will without a doubt act out on his own" the old man said while thinking about his counterpart from the Cloud Village.

"Yes, but destroying the Moon is madness" Ishiyama said. "What if we combined our powers and strengths. Together, we could push the Moon away from the Earth" the tall elder suggested ambitiously.

Onoki had to smirk when hearing this. "You mean like what I did against Madara's tricks during the world war?" he asked the tall man before chuckling to himself in amusement. "Sorry, Ishiyama. But your plan is all but an amusing delusion. While it sounds tempting, such will require that we all sacrifice ourselves to push the Moon upwards. That is risky" the Tsuchikage told him.

"Then what is your suggestion, Onoki?" Yakin questioned him before coughing slightly.

Somehow, a cunning smile could be soon on the tiny man's face. It only confirmed to them he was up to something. It didn't take long before Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi took notice of it as well. They all wondered what the stubborn Tsuchikage could now be thinking. Hopefully, he would come up with a plan to protect the Stone Village, as well as saving the world.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: That was chapter 21. We got to see how the Five Great Hidden Villages were doing with regards to the crisis. Given that I've been focused on Naruto and his gang, I thought it was time to let Tsunade and the others be given a time to shine. Since there are few characters from the Stone Village, I've decided to make some OCs, with some of them being the elders in the Stone Council. The next chapter will take us back to the Moon. We may also be able to see Sasuke, as I want them to come into the picture. We will also be able to get a glimpse of Toneri and how he plans on dealing with the intruders. In the coming chapters, thing may become similar to The Last: Naruto the Movie, but I have other plans. You see, Toneri is not the bad guy in this story, and neither is Saizo. They're both part of a bigger game. I'm trying to bridge this story and A New Generation without retconning. I thank those who read this story. It may not be good (I will save the lemon scenes for later chapters), but it fun, which is the idea.**


	22. The Boy in the Lonely World

**Author's note: This chapter will take us back to the Moon Expedition, and may also give us some details about the past both Sasuke and Saizo share between each other. As such, this chapter will also contain a flashback part. I was inspired by the novel "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" written by John Boyne when writing this chapter. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: The Boy in the Lonely World**

 _Somewhere in the open fields, the Moon_

Naruto Uzumaki and his Moon Expedition were surprised to see how idyllic the Moon actually was in terms of fauna. The fields that they had arrived at after running through the thick forests were a sight to be admired. They were open, green and filled with all kinds of flora. A lake was laying blue below one of the many hills they could see. This was nothing like any of the Leaf shinobis had expected to see on a faraway place such as the Moon. In the background, they could watch the majestic mountains tower over the landscape in the distance.

The Moon Expedition stood and observed the landscape as the wind blew in them. That, coupled with the sun shining so bright above them, only reminded them about their home. While the Land of Fire didn't necessarily have tall mountains such as the ones they saw, the greenery that existed on the Moon was only similar to the one on Earth. Even so, they could also feel the Chakra in the air and it amazed them.

"Woah…..I never thought the Moon had such wondrous fauna" Tenten remarked from what she was seeing. "Perhaps this really is the Moon after all, given how idyllic this place looks" the brunette had to add while giggling to herself.

Sakura smiled when hearing this. "Yeah. You could say that, Tenten" the pinkette told her.

"Don't let the scenery fool you, ladies. It may look bright on the outside, but I have this feeling in my gut telling me how everything around here is just an image created through Chakra" Naruto told them before glancing up to the bright sun itself. "And I still have some suspicions over this sun. It's as if it is more than just a giant glowing ball" he then let his teammates know of his suspicions.

"I'm not sure whether you're right or not. But given all the messed-up things we've encountered on our way to the Moon, I guess it could be the truth" Shikamaru told his captain while resting his hands behind his neck. "But let us see if we can find a way to wherever the hell Toneri Otsutsuki is. I swear, finding it may be harder than what we first thought" Shikamaru added.

"But didn't we spot a floating landmass or something the other day?" Chouji quizzed Shikamaru before looking up. The sun was shining, thus forcing him to cover his eyes with one of his arms. "But it's difficult to see due to the sun shining so bright" he then added.

"I am wearing sunglasses, but I still can't see anything in it" Shino told them.

"Same here" Aoshi spoke up, given that he also wore sunglasses.

The group kept observing the environment they currently found themselves in. Everything seemed okay so far and they decided to search for more clues by venturing near the trees. They split up into smaller groups, with Shino, Lee and Sakura searching one of the lonely trees standing in the fields.

"I thought I saw something small at this tree. But I guess it was only my imagination" Sakura told the two shinobis.

"Are you sure?" Shino asked her while he looked at some of his insects on his handpalm. "My insects tell me that they felt an unfamiliar tint of Chakra around this tree. They usually don't tell me lies" he told her.

"Hey guys! Look up there!" Lee called to his friends as he pointed his finger at something floating above them.

Looking up, they could see what appeared to be a small wisp. It was floating around the tree in above ground, yet it soon began vanishing in the blink of an eye, much to the surprise of the three shinobis

"What in the world was that thing?" Sakura asked in disbelief. "I've never seen creatures like that before" the pinkette added.

Meanwhile, Kiba and his partner Akamaru were searching another tree along with Tenten and Chouji. Like the other group, they also were stunned to encounter a wisp floating above the ground, although it was also circling around the tree itself. They stood their guard, wary if that tiny but glowing being was capable of harming them. But it soon also disappeared from their view.

"Woah…..that little thing just…..disappeared" Chouji uttered out lowly.

"You got that right. But what the hell was it, anyway? Was that creature something that only exists on the Moon?" Kiba wondered, feeling slightly regretful over the fact that he didn't attack it sooner. But all of a sudden, Akamaru began growling and Kiba wondered why. "What's the matter, buddy? You look kinda agitated" he asked the dog as he too a step near the bush.

Tenten however could see something shine in the bushes. The brunette came to realize that this was the reflection of a weapon due to the sunlight above the tree. Without hesitation, she quickly grabbed Kiba by his shoulders.

"KIBA, WHATCH OUT!" Tenten cried as the minute she pulled him away from the bushes, something suddenly emerged out of hiding and was about to slash Kiba. It was only fortunate that he managed to avoid getting cut. "Are you alright?" she asked him in worry.

Kiba responded by only grinning at her smugly. "Never been better! Thanks for helping me, Tenten!" he told her before turning his attention on the one who had almost succeeded in slashing him. "So that's why Akamaru was feeling agitated. Turns out something was near us, after all" he noted warily as he looked at one of Toneri's many puppet servants.

They were not the only ones. Out of nowhere, puppets began emerging out of hiding from behind the bushes or on the highest branches of the trees. The members of the Moon Expedition immediately responded to this surprise attack by defending themselves. They even gathered in a large group, watching as the puppets began forming their own army by coming out of their hiding places.

"Great! We just had to run into those damn puppets again!" Shikamaru groaned as he looked around to see how they were surrounded by their enemies.

"Yeah, but this doesn't seem like any ordinary surprise attack if you ask me" Naruto expressed his opinion of this ambush. "I bet these puppets must have a motive for ambushing us now" the blonde-haired man added to his theory.

"Obviously they were waiting for us to come here, that is the closest possibility we can get" Sakura noted before she realized something. "Wait! Those small creatures we just found…they've been spying on us all the time! They're Toneri's eyes and ears on the Moon" Sakura then realized what they had found.

"Spies, you say?" Lee asked her before turning his attention on the puppets, readying his fighting stance in the process. "I see. Well that explains why they vanished the moment we caught glimpse of them. It seems like they've also supplied these puppets with information of our whereabouts" the man with the thick eyebrows added, understanding Sakura's hypothesis.

"Well in that case" Shikamaru said as he was ready to unleash his Shadow Possession Jutsu upon the foes surrounding him and his friends. "Let's give these puppets a beating they'll never forget. They can't feel anything, so try not to feel sorry for them" he then pointed out, although his friends were unsure of what he was trying to get at.

Kiba was only growling, and Akamaru had already changed into a clone of his partner. "Well, I don't give a damn about who these bastards are! They'll pay for what they have done! Let's do this, Akamaru!" the brown-haired man exclaimed and both he and his partner launched their attacks upon the charging puppets. "MAN-BEAST ULTIMATE TAIJUTSU: FANG OVER FANG!" Kiba exclaimed as both he and Akamaru were creating whirlwinds and attacked the enemies from above.

Lee could already see a giant puppet with a weapon charging towards him, yet he managed to dodge it quickly. Then, Lee proceeded to deliver an uppercut to the puppet, thus sending it flying into the air. However, Lee was not done with it. He used his speed to appear right above the puppet and delivered a powerful dropkick that sent it crashing down towards a group of other puppets.

"This is the perfect display of the Full Power of Youth!" Lee exclaimed and proceeded to dive towards the enemies waiting to cut him to shreds. The man dressed in green was pretty confident in himself. "Heh! I hope your master knows how to piece you all together! Because like it or not, I'm gonna give you one heck of a beatdown!" Lee began taunting his opponents, even though he knew that puppets such as these wouldn't take his words for granted.

So far, the Moon Expedition were holding up great against the advancing puppets. Sakura delivered a powerful punch that went through a puppet, eventually tearing it to pieces. Shino used his insects to infiltrate some puppets, thus destroying them from within. Tenten backed her friends by unleashing her weapon scrolls, which enabled her to shoot at the enemies all around her. And Chouji used his giant handpalms to crash large swaths of puppets. But even though they were easily defeated, the number of puppets thrown at them were limitless.

"Damn! How many does it take before these puppets run out of strings!?" Genma asked as he was trying to avoid a kunai being thrown at him.

"Worry about that later! Right now, staying alive is all that matters!" Raido rebuked him before resuming to his combat mode against the enemies. "Come at us, you mindless toys! We'll help you cut your strings!" the scar-faced man then exclaimed, an effort to boost not just his own morale, but his friends' as well.

Naruto watched with pride in how Raido managed to inspire the other members of the communication unit. As he did that, he could suddenly notice something headed towards them. Looking up, the blonde-haired man's eyes widened by seeing two balls of Chakra being fired towards their location. They were fast, and Naruto had to do something quickly. He called fourth a Shadow Clone to his side.

"I gotta stop these balls from hurting the others! It's too late to run for the hills now!" Naruto thought while he began gathering a ball of Wind Chakra in his right hand, with the help of the Shadow Clone, of course. Once it was complete, Naruto threw his attack at those two incoming balls of Chakra, as if he was throwing a shuriken. "WIND STYLE: RASENSHURIKEN!" he yelled, hoping that it would be enough to destroy them.

The Rasenshuriken managed to hit the two balls and as it struggled with taking them both at the same time, it began exploding, thus ceasing all kinds of attack directed at Naruto and his friends. Everyone was relieved that Naruto had succeeded in averting their supposed defeat.

"Nice job, Naruto. I didn't notice the attack until now" Sakura told her boyfriend, stunned over how she had been too negligent to even realize how serious this was.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. "Not only that. Look closer! I see something appearing from the skies!" he said while he could see what appeared to be enemy flyers.

Soon, the rest of the Moon Expedition took notice of those as well. They were puppets mounted on bird-like puppets. And they were descending towards the clear fields, getting ready to attack their targets. However, these flyers were lead by someone. Naruto and his friends all snapped once they could see who had dared to show his face before them. It was the same man they had came for: Toneri Otsutsuki. He gazed down upon his enemies with his newly acquired Tenseigan.

"It's him…...that monster!" Lee exclaimed in shock and anger at the same time.

"Toneri Otsutsuki…" Naruto noted grimly, his blue eyes never leaving sight of him.

The moment Kiba sat his eyes upon Hinata's captor, his feral instincts slowly began taking control over him. He really wanted to rip out Toneri's spine, as well as crack his skull. "Grr…...that son of a bitch! He finally dares shows his face here for real!" the young Inuzuka scowled while facing the azure-eyed man.

Shino had already taken notice of Kiba's rage taking hold on him. "Remember, Kiba: control your temper" he sternly reminded his longtime teammate about what their sensei had advised him to do. But despite this, Kiba was not listening to him, much to Shino's own dismay.

Toneri formed his lips into a smug smile as he faced the Moon Expedition below him. "Well, what do we have here? A group of misfits wandering through my kingdom uninvited. You obviously seem to lack manners, even though it doesn't surprise me to say at least" the white-haired man told them.

"You know, it's funny that you lambast us for intruding here, given that you did that in the Leaf Village. That sounds like double standards if you ask me" Naruto spoke up before deciding to get more serious with Toneri. "But we could care less about what you think of us. We said that we would make it to the Moon and so we did. We've defeated your precious Gatekeeper and are here, just as I told ya" the blonde-haired man then revealed, even forming a cocky grin at the end of his sentence.

Toneri remained unfazed while hearing Naruto's taunt directed at him. "And what is your point? Didn't my puppet tell you back then that the real me would be more powerful than what you ever could imagine? I have so much more to offer than just hand-to-hand combat" Toneri said while slowly rubbing his fingers along his eyelids. "With my Tenseigan finally matured into its full capacity, you will find me much harder to defeat. Do any of you fools think you are capable of such?" he taunted his foes.

It was then Naruto and his friends began to realize that something was different from Toneri since the last time they fought him in the Leaf Village. His eyelids were now open and they could see those azure eyes of his. It was like nothing they had ever seen before.

"Hey Naruto…...have you noticed his eyes?" Shikamaru asked his captain. "He didn't show that to us the last time we fought him" he added.

Naruto weakly nodded in return. "Yeah. I can see them clearly. They are new to us. But not only that, I've never seen them before. What kind of Kekkei Genkai is that? Is it one that is similar to the Rinnegan?" he wondered while studying Toneri's eyes.

"I take it that you are all curious to know about these eyes of mine. Very well. Since you are all about to perish, it would only be natural to inform you of them" Toneri told them in his low voice. "As I said earlier, these eyes are the Tenseigan. All these years, I had been reduced to blindness due to my eyes being sealed away during my birth. But by extracting the Byakugans of Hiashi and Hanabi Hyuuga, I was able to reawaken them! Now, I possess the powers of a true Otsutsuki!" the young man explained how he had achieved the Tenseigan.

The members of the Moon Expeditions were shocked to hear what Toneri had done to Hinata's father and younger sister. There was no mistaking it. They could also see some muscles near the eyelids. Thinking about this only made them more worried about the captured Hyuuga clan.

"My God…how could he have done that!?" Sakura was full of disbelief in hearing this.

"So that means both Hiashi and Hanabi have…...been taken their eyes from them?" Tenten tried to figure out what Toneri's acquisition of the Tenseigan meant. "This is bad…think about what he will do with Hinata and the others!" the brunette told those around her.

Kiba overheard Tenten's words, and his fears started clouding his mind. An image suddenly popped into his head. It was an image of a Hinata without her beautiful and bright eyes. All that was left were empty eyeholes. The thought about that only ignited the anger within the young Inuzuka. He could not bear to witness Hinata's beauty turning to despair.

"Give Hinata back…." Kiba calmly, yet angrily spoke up, his fists clenching tightly. He even began gritting his feral teeth and his friends could see how angry he really was.

Surprisingly, Toneri had taken notice of Kiba mentioning Hinata. This made him focus his attention on the impulsive Inuzuka and his dog partner. "Oh? Did you say something about giving back Hinata, foul beast?" he insultingly asked Kiba, not giving much thought about how angry the brown-haired man was. "Clearly you suffer a sad delusion. I already told you that she and I are destined to become husband and wife. Our wedding will take place in the next day. But before the ceremony can commence, I need to dispose of you and the other fools brave enough to try and ruin it. That is the reason why I am here now" Toneri revealed smugly to Kiba, although he was also addressing the entire Moon Expedition.

Kiba was about to speak up his mind, he was surprised to see Shino suddenly stand before him. The Aburame with sunglasses faced Toneri directly. "Nobody talks to my comrade like that, especially someone who doesn't even know either him or Hinata personally!" Shino spoke up in a determined manner. "And as far as me and my friends know, the only one of us here who suffer a sad delusion…is no one but you, Toneri Otsutsuki" he added.

While surprised to hear this, Kiba had to smile slightly in hearing Shino speaking up for him. He was not alone. The other members of the Moon Expedition were pleased to see how someone so reserved as Shino still could speak out against anyone so passionately, let alone savage them.

Surprisingly, Chouji also seemed to possess enough courage to speak up against Toneri, despite the fact that the white-haired man was more powerful than him. "Shino's right! We will never give up on our mission to save the world! And we sure as heck won't leave this place without Hinata and the Hyuugas!" Chouji said, the Akimichi-heir surprisingly having burning passion within him.

"Yeah! Hinata will never become your wife! Get it through your thick skull!" Tenten spat, the brunette also feeling tempted in being this outspoken.

Despite hearing all those determined words, Toneri was far from impressed. He simply closed his eyes as if he was disappointed in what the members of the Moon Expedition were saying to him. "How unfortunate. Here I thought you would all understand how my plans will proceed. But it appears that all of you are still ignorant" Toneri told them before opening his eyes, this time narrowing them with contempt. "But no matter! You humans bluff poorly with regards to your fate! It has already been sealed! Therefore, I shall see to you all die! ATTACK!" he then gave his puppets the command to attack the Moon Expedition from the air.

Naruto and the others watched as puppets began jumping off their bird mounts and dive towards their targets. However, the bird puppets also joined in the fight, acting as air support for the puppets fighting on ground level. This alone gave Naruto and idea. He had to try it, given how many numbers the enemy had. The blonde-haired man faced Sakura, who had just finished punching through a puppet before turning it into pieces.

"Sakura, remember back in the Leaf Village when we last fought this guy? He's the one controlling all those puppets" Naruto told the pinkette who listened closely.

Sakura understood what Naruto was getting at. "Right. So that means once we defeat him, these puppets will be deactivated. That has to be the way to end his control of them" she noted before glancing up to Toneri, who was still standing on the bird puppet surveying the battle. "We have to get to him. And I suggest you do that, Naruto. Maybe we can get Shikamaru, Lee and Shino to help here. Their abilities could come in handy" Sakura then suggested to Naruto.

Naruto smiled in hearing this. "Sounds like a great idea, Sakura. We best get started before we…" Naruto was interrupted once he saw something that Kiba and Akamaru did.

Believe it or not, the young Inuzuka and his dog partner managed to jump on one of the flying bird puppets, who had tried to attack the Moon Expedition with its claws. Akamaru had returned to his normal form and given how big and fast he was, Kiba could mount him perfectly. As they got on the bird, it took off to the air. But Kiba's friends were stunned to what they were seeing him doing just now.

"Kiba! Akamaru!" Naruto blurted out in disbelief of what he saw.

"They just mounted that bird puppet!" Chouji said as he looked up. "But for what reason?" he then wondered to himself.

"KIBA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Shino angrily yelled at his teammate. "YOU'RE ONLY GETTING YOURSELF KILLED!" the ma with the sunglasses added to his angry reaction.

Kiba turned around to look down at his friends. "SHUT UP! I'M NOT TAKING ANY MORE CHANCES, GUYS! I'M ENDING THIS NIGHTMARE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!" the brown-haired man yelled and concentrated his attention on Toneri. "GET READY AKAMARU! WE'RE GONNA SEND THAT MOTHERFUCKER STRAIGHT TO HELL!" he then spat out in a fiery manner. His partner only growled, preparing to actually launch himself towards Toneri.

"What are those two planning!?" Tenten wondered in disbelief. But the brunette soon got a picture of what Kiba's plans were. "No! Don't tell me they….." Tenten was beginning to realize what this was about.

"KIBA AND AKAMARU ARE BOTH CRAZY! THEY'RE TRYING TO ATTACK TONERI BY JUMPING FROM THAT BIRD!" Lee exclaimed loudly in what he was seeing.

"WHAT!? YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Shikamaru said in return before glancing up to see this commotion. "Damn it, Kiba! Are you really that delusional!?" the man with ponytail began expressing his dissatisfaction over what Kiba was now doing.

The bird Kiba and Akamaru was riding on was flying above and near the one Toneri was standing on. This time, the white-haired man fixed hi eyes upon the aggressive Inuzuka and his dog. Despite how close far he had come, Toneri was not scared of Kiba to say at least.

"You hijacked one of my flying puppets. A reckless but clever move I must admit" Toneri remarked with a frown. But that frown soon turned into a smug smile. "Nevertheless, you are blind if you think you can even harm me with broken claws and a toothless mutt! In fact, you are not even strong enough to deserve someone as powerful as Hinata!" he taunted Kiba with venom in his voice.

Hearing this insult made Kiba loose his mind and his feral instincts began taking hold on the young man. Even Akamaru was feeling the anger his partner did. The puppet they were standing on had now given them the perfect opportunity to attack Toneri from above. They would take that chance, even if they knew how dangerous it was.

"Don't you ever say Hinata's name when you're in front of me! You've never known what she truly desires the most! So do me a favor and leave her out of this! It's time for us to shut that mouth of yours for good!" Kiba snapped before Akamaru finally jumped off the puppet and launched himself down towards Toneri. Kiba was also preparing to attack, the young man truly wishing to harm Toneri in the worst way possible. "IT'S GAME OVER FOR YOU, BASTARD!" he roared like the beast he was known to be.

While he was still unfazed, Toneri had to admit he was surprised to see how brave and reckless Kiba and his partner were with regards to attacking him. This was unexpected from what he knew about humans, especially the weaker ones. Even so, Toneri quickly shrugged off this incoming threat and began gathering Chakra on his right hand. His enemies proceeded to charge towards him, never backing down. Toneri had to chuckle to himself in seeing their resolve.

"When will you learn, simpleton? You are all but utterly…PATHETIC!" Toneri yelled at the end of his sentence as he used his Chakra-empowered hand to slam both Kiba and Akamaru away from him. It was a hard slam and the Inuzuka and his dog partner were sent flying away. But Toneri was not finished with them just yet and be began aiming his hand at the ground beneath them. "Now you see why someone like you is unworthy of becoming Hinata's husband! You allow your own anger to become a liability! All the more reason for why Hinata should never marry into a clan of beasts! And to make sure you and that pet of yours stay dead for good, allow me to send you to the darkest pits of the outer space!" he then said before proceeding to fire a powerful ball of Chakra down at the ground.

The Moon Expedition could see that this ball was headed near their location and they all moved away as fast as they could. But the puppets who remained in the standpoint did not do the same thing. They were taken by Toneri's blast. It was quite an attack, as it had created a hole through the ground itself. But that was not all. There was no depth. All that could be seen was the dark empty space that surrounded the Moon. Right now, Kiba and Akamaru were falling down towards it. Neither of them had enough strength to even move. They kept falling while watching Toneri glance at them with an evil smirk.

"KIBA! AKAMARU!" Shino yelled as he watched the pair fall down towards the hall.

"Everyone, stay back!" Naruto told his comrades and was about to activate his Tailed Beast Mode. "KURAMA! LEND ME YOUR ASSISTANCE! WE NEED TO HELP BOTH KIBA AND….." before Naruto could even finish the transformation, something else had transpired.

Just as Kiba and Akamaru were destined to fall through the hole in the ground, something just managed to save the pair in the nick of time. It was somebody riding on an eagle drawn with ink. The members of the Moon Expedition smiled by seeing who had just arrived, not only to save Kiba, but also to assist them. The one who saved Kiba were Sai and Asami Nakano.

But soon, more eagles could be seen arriving on the battlefield and Naruto and Sakura quickly recognized a familiar face on another of these eagles. It was Sasuke. Behind him was Ino and Yamato. It became apparent who had just arrived. It was the combined group of the Shadow Squad, Grim Guard and the Divine Division, also known as the Triple Entente. All of them were also on the Moon. It was surprising, yet that didn't matter to the Moon Expedition.

"It's Sasuke! As well as Sai, Ino, Captain Yamato and the other members of the Shadow Squad!" Naruto exclaimed with utter joy. He then proceeded to give Sai and Asami a thumb up gesture, given that they just managed to save Kiba and Akamaru. Sai glanced down at Naruto and Sakura with his usual friendly expression. He even returned the thumbs up. Naruto then took notice of the other ones riding the ink eagles. "I see. Those guys are definitely from the Sand Village's Grim Guard and the Mist Village's Divine Division. They came at a perfect time!" he mused to himself.

"I recognize some of these faces. That's Shito from my clan!" Chouji exclaimed while waving his hand up to the chubby man in his usually friendly gesture.

"Yup, and Ensui's here as well" Shikamaru, who stood near Chouji spoke up.

Shino managed to took notice of Tatsuma Aburame. "So, you do prove yourself to be useful in the Shadow Squad. I am impressed" he noted to himself, admitting how Tatsuma was actually a good guy despite his pest membership in Root.

Meanwhile, Asami took her time to study the conditions of both Kiba and Akamaru. She had some experience in the medical field, and knew all about first aid.

"Both of them are still breathing, but they seemed to have been knocked into unconsciousness" Asami told Sai. But they soon turned their attention on the puppets who began gathering around Toneri.

From the looks of it, Toneri was now retreating, yet it didn't necessarily mean he was giving up on fighting them. He was however slightly irritated over the unexpected arrival of these humans from Earth. Even so, he had more pressing matters to attend to, especially in making preparations for the spectacular wedding he long awaited. Therefore, he would let these intruders live for now.

"THIS IS NOT OVER YET, HUMANS! BUT EVEN SO, YOUR FATE IS UNAVOIDABLE! THE SAGE'S WORLD WILL BE DESTROYED AND I WILL HAVE HINATA AS MY BRIDE! MARK MY WORDS, INTRUDERS! IF YOU CONTINUE TO STAY ON MY KINGDOM UNINVITED, YOU WILL ALL FEEL MY WRATH! AND I WILL SHOW NO MERCY UPON ANYONE DARING TO RUIN MY PLANS TO RESTORE THE MOON TO IT'S FORMER GLORY! THAT IS WHAT I WANT ALL OF YOU TO BEAR IN MIND! LEAVE MY KINGDOM OR DIE PAINFULLY!" those were the words of warning Toneri had for the humans before he and his servants flew up towards the sky, where the sun was shining brightly.

The Triple Entente chose not to pursue Toneri, given how faster his bird puppets were in comparison to Sai's ink eagles. On the other hand, it was more important to see to how the Moon Expedition were doing. Naruto and his friends approached the members of the Shadow Squad, given how he knew them better than those of the Grim Guard and the Divine Division.

"Sasuke! We're both glad and surprised at the same time of you and the others coming here! We just had our hands full with these puppets and their chatty master" Naruto told him before directing his attention to Sai and Asami. "Anyway, thanks for saving Kiba and Akamaru. I was just about to go before you suddenly swooshed in" the blonde-haired man thanked the two. ¨

"You're welcome, Naruto. We're glad that we reached this place just in time" Sai responded back to Naruto.

"Speaking of reaching, how in the world did you manage to end up here? Did you enter the same portal as we did?" Sakura questioned Ino.

Ino stroke her blonde hair while hearing this. "It's a little more complicated than what you think, Sakura. But we did in fact arrive here through some portal" she replied.

"We can fill you in on everything we have seen back on Earth once we're back at the hideout" Sasuke informed his friends before facing Naruto. "There is something we need to inform all of you about. And I believe you have something to share with us as well" the raven-haired man told Naruto.

Naruto nodded in reply. "Yeah. Sounds like a great idea. We really have something to share with you" the blonde-haired man told him before he forgot to ask something more from Sasuke. "But wait, a hideout? You mean you found something on your way here?" he then asked them.

"Indeed, we did" Yamato spoke up. "On our way to this place, we passed by what appeared to be an abandoned town built on one of these majestic mountains. We scouted it for any potential enemies before we continued and it seemed to be completely deserted" the brown-haired man spoke up.

"That's fine by me. We could use a place to rest and lick our wounds. I swear, today's battle has been such a drag if you ask me" Shikamaru agreed with going to this hideout.

Ino folded her arms while observing her lazy teammate. "Did you actually fight on the frontlines? Or did you just slack off as usual? I think you did the latter, Shikamaru" she asked him in a bossing manner.

Shikamaru let out a deep sigh. "Ino, for the love of God" he said while facepalming. "Just give your bossy attitude a rest, will ya?" he groaned.

"Maybe we should just head to wherever the heck this hiding place is" Chouji suddenly spoke up while watching the skies to make sure no one was watching them. "For all we know, that Toneri-guy could be plotting some messed up plan and we need energy if we are to crash that wedding of his" the chubby man then pointed out to everyone.

"Well said, Chouji. We're only wasting time standing here" Naruto agreed with Chouji's sentiment before facing Sasuke and the others. "We'll share what we know so far once we're at this hideout of yours. We may as well plan on attacking Toneri's base. Because I think I just know where it could be, based upon where he and his servants took off" the blonde-haired man informed Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded his head weakly in return. "Very well. Then we best get moving. The sun is about to go down" he told Naruto while observing how the sun gradually began moving down. And so, they all got on the ink eagles and set off towards the high mountains.

* * *

 _Later, somewhere high in the mountains, the Moon_

The Triple Entente had discovered what appeared to be an abandoned town built on the highest reaches of the mountains. While it was high, it was not snowing as it was on the peaks. However, what mattered to this large group of shinobis was that they would have a place to stay in peace. Hopefully Toneri would not come after them. The abandoned town was a perfect place for a hideout.

Right now, the leading members of this combined group were now gathered around what appeared to be some kind of bonfire which had been left to burn out long ago. Now that they were safe and gathered in one place, it was a perfect opportunity to share everyone with what they had encountered so far. Both the Triple Entente and the Moon Expedition took their turns in telling their stories. Each group was keen to learn something new, especially the shinobis of the Shadow Squad. But not everyone was present, since Kiba and Akamaru were unconscious. Aoshi, Genma and Raido had offered to watch over him while Naruto and the others had this discussion.

"So Hinata, her father, her sister and all the other Hyuugas has been captured?" Ino asked those of the Moon Expedition. "Poor girl…...I wonder if she's doing okay…" the blondie then noted sadly while thinking about the bluenette.

"That man we saw was indeed Toneri Otsutsuki" Yamato spoke up while remembering what he could remember in seeing. "I never knew there existed men like him on the Moon, let alone a civilization" he added.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE MOON!" the angry voice came from Tokuma Hyuuga, who was now feeling extremely upset by the whole thing. "My brothers and sisters of the Hyuuga clan are being held like caged animals! And worse, that alien bastard is making his move on Lady Hinata! I just wanna get my hands on that perverted creep" the long-haired man was now expressing his outrageousness over hearing what Toneri had in store for the captured Hyuugas.

"Rest easy, Tokuma. We will find a way to save them" Ensui Nara assured Tokuma before turning his attention on Shikamaru. "Won't we, Shikamaru?" he asked the current Head of the Nara clan.

Shikamaru responded by only shrugging his shoulders. "Of course, we will, but we gotta come up with a plan first. But with the arrival of you guys, I'm sure we can work something out" he answered. Shikamaru then looked at Naruto. "I take it you have something you wanna ask these guys, am I right?" Shikamaru asked Naruto.

"Yeah, I do. And from what they told me, I was really intrigued and stunned to hear all this." Naruto said before he fixed his eyes upon Sasuke and the others of the Shadow Squad. "So these three hooded terrorists that interrupted Shino and Umeko's wedding. You managed to figure out their identities. And the Crimson Dragon's identity is indeed an Uchiha. Unbelievable…" Naruto remarked from what he had heard.

"Not only that. On this Island of Tides you were on…there existed another portal to the Moon?" Sakura asked, feeling stunned over how there existed another portal that would take people to the Moon. Sakura looked at Sasuke. "You say that they all entered the portal before you pursued them. That means they're also here on the Moon somewhere. That doesn't sound good" the pinkette then expressed her concerns.

Sasuke did not say anything in return. He simply chose the face the ground, as if he was reflecting on something. Naruto, Sakura and the others could see how sad Sasuke really was on the inside. "I don't know how Saizo would suddenly show up before me. As far as I remember, he and his mother died of a terrible illness when I was young. And neither of them had been resurrected during the Fourth Shinobi World War" the raven-haired man began telling them what he knew. "From what he tells me, it was my father who killed him. I refuse to believe that's true!" Sasuke then added while recalling the last time he and Saizo fought one another.

"He did so indeed, Sasuke" the voice came from Yamato, who spoke to Sasuke with a hint of seriousness in his voice. It was rare for someone like him to get serious. Sasuke began glaring at Yamato, not liking what he just said. "I know it's hard for you to accept that fact. But when the Uchiha clan were planning a coup against the Leaf Village's leadership, they wanted to make sure that no weakness was brewing amongst their ranks. That is why your father wanted to…" Yamato's explanation was interrupted by Sasuke's angry voice.

"I TOLD YOU IT'S NOT TRUE!" Sasuke yelled at him, thus shutting Yamato completely. Even so, he did not seem intimidated by the raven-haired man's angry outburst. "I know my father better than any of you standing here. So do me a favor and stop bringing in these false facts!" the raven-haired man continued.

"Captain Yamato is not telling you lies, Sasuke" this time, it was Ino who spoke up. She was brave enough to look into Sasuke's angry eyes and tell him that. "While you were incarcerated, we dug through the old files from the old Leaf Police Force. It's true, your father was not who you really thought he was" the blondie informed him.

Sasuke couldn't take it hearing the young woman say such things about Fukagu. "Shut up, Ino! You don't know anything!" he said before looking around at his friends. "And neither do all of you! So stay the hell away from my business, fools!" he snapped before walking away from the group.

Sakura couldn't believe in what she heard her teammate say. "Sasuke! What is wrong with you!? Quit being so damn stubborn and let us help…" Sakura was interrupted when Naruto put a hand on her shoulder. He shook his head at her.

"Just let him go, Sakura. While a part of me disagree with Sasuke's attitude, another part of me can sense the sadness within him. I'm sure you and the others do that as well" Naruto told the pinkette. He then looked to face both Ino and Yamato. "You both know that he really didn't mean it, right?" he asked the two of them with a smile.

Ino folded her arms and sighed. "Of course. He's only in denial. He has been that ever since this mystery began" she told him while looking over to Sasuke. "But I guess that the revelation of Saizo took a heavy toll on him. I can't imagine how conflicted he is right now" Ino added while starting to pity the raven-haired man.

"Indeed. It would be best for us if we just let him be alone for a while" Yamato suggested to those around him.

"A wise decision, mortal" everyone snapped once they heard what appeared to be a celestial female voice.

The gathered shinobis all turned around to see who it was that said those words. Some of them felt incredibly uncomfortable, wondering whether they had been discovered by spies of Toneri or something else.

"What the hell? Who said that!" Komaza angrily asked as he looked around amongst his fellow members of the Grim Guard.

"I swear, I didn't say anything" Sari told him.

"This town's cursed! Right now, it's ghosts are speaking to us!" Karin exclaimed while feeling very uncomfortable in being in this town. She even hid behind Juugo, given how tall that man was. Juugo did not know what her deal was.

Suigestu only facepalmed. "Geez, what a wacko" he noted in seeing Karin being such a scaredy-cat.

"But who did indeed say something. It's obvious, were are not alone in this town" Hyozan spoke up while slightly holding onto his weapon.

The gathered group of shinobis were in for a surprise, once they could see something hover above them. A circle of small, but glowing wisps suddenly showed themselves before the shinobis. Everyone was stunned in what they were seeing, yet they were recognizable by those of the Moon Expedition.

"Woah…" Lee uttered out in astonishment. "Its those tiny creatures! Those we saw down in the fields!" the young man remarked, still remembering what he saw.

"I see. It was them who spoke just" Sakura noted, the pinkette surprised in what she was seeing.

The wisps soon reached down to their level, yet they were still small in size compared to the shinobis. They all stood and watched as they all shined brighter, the light so beautiful.

"Do not fret, mortals. We mean you no harm" the wisp in the middle spoke wit her celestial voice. Obviously, she was their leader, given how bright her teal light was. "We are the Moon's wisps, who were instrumental in creating civilization upon the Moon itself. We were called by the brothers Hagoromo and Hamura to help them make it, as well as help bring life to it" she told them.

The group was astonished by what they were hearing, especially Naruto. "Oh, you knew the old man, huh?" Naruto asked before forming a smile. "Well that's terrific. My name's….." Naruto was interrupted by the voice of the wisp.

"There is no need for any introductions here, Naruto Uzumaki. We all know who each and every one of you are" the wisp pointed out, yet she didn't seem to be finished. "However, I believe that an introduction of myself is required here. I am Kukurihime, the Mother Wisp and the Wisp Queen. I have existed since ancient times, before the birth of ninjutsu and the usage of Chakra" she began telling everyone.

The group of shinobis gathered were surprised to hear how ancient this Kukurihime really was. It only made them more curious to know more of these wisps.

"So that means you used to live on the Earth before living here, right?" Shikamaru questioned the Mother Wisp.

"You are correct, young one. However, despite us living here, we wisp managed to follow the events that happened in the world through generations. We also followed the Four Shinobi World Wars that occurred" Kukurihime revealed before she began moving closer towards Naruto. "And I know that in the recent world war, you along with Sasuke Uchiha were instrumental in ending it, with the help from the Sage of the Six Paths himself. My people and I are grateful for what you two have done" the wisp told him.

Naruto did not know how to respond to this compliment, and only scratched the back of his head while chuckling nervously. "Gee, I never expected to be praised by you. But I greatly appreciate your gratitude, Granny Fairy…..ouch" Naruto was nudged by Sakura, who did not take kindly to what he just told the wisp.

"She's a queen, Naruto! Address her appropriately!" Sakura told him through gritted teeth. She then faced Kukurihime while bowing her head. "Please excuse his behavior, Your Highness. Naruto's still not learning on how to address those of high authority" the pinkette told him.

"Tch, ya think" Shikamaru muttered to himself in hearing Sakura say that.

The Mother Wisp could be heard laughing softly, indicating that she did indeed find Naruto to be quite humorous. But that laugh soon ended and even though the wisp didn't have a face, the shinobis could tell that Kukurihime and her fellow wisps were here for a particular reason.

"I know the reason for why you have come here. Even now, the Moon is descending towards the Sage's world by each passing seconds. All of you have come here to put a stop to the madness of Toneri Otsutsuki" Kukurihime told them. "But you also have other objectives. To my understanding, Toneri has captured something that is of great value to you people" she added before facing Tokuma, who weakly nodded his heading return.

"Yes. The Hyuuga clan has been captured. And now that son of a bitch wants to make Lady Hinata his bride! The very thought of it disgusts me!" he said in return while trying not to think so much about it.

"I see. My people and the Otsutsukis that lived on the Moon lived once in harmony with one another. But once the civil war between the Main and the Branch Houses began, we were caught in the middle. I tried to find out the root of all this discontent, but the Branch House and their overzealous leaders captured my people and forced wisps to serve under them as servants" Kukurihime began telling the shinobis a story of what she and her people had experienced. "Even to this day, my people remain slaves, now under the twisted rule of Toneri. What you see here, are all that remains of the free wisps" she then revealed to everyone.

"So those wisps we encountered back in the fields. They were servants of Toneri" Shino spoke up. "No wonder why they suddenly vanished the moment we saw them" the Aburame added to his analysis.

"Just what is Toneri planning on accomplishing? I mean, how can he be so deluded?" Tenten asked the Mother Wisp.

For some reason, Kukurihime and her wisps began floating in the air, as if they were trying to show them something. It didn't take long before the Mother Wisp was willing to spill out more information about Toneri, or more specifically the Moon itself.

"Listen very carefully, mortals. What I am about to reveal to you is something that will even surprise you all, let alone have a different opinion on the crisis affecting your world" Kukurihime told them. "The Moon is more than just a giant ball floating above the Earth and giving light during the night. And the two brothers who created it did not only create it to seal away their mother Kaguya Otsutsuki. They also created it to seal away her corruptor. Because beneath what you see here, lies an ancient and dormant being that once terrorized the world. One whose viciousness and destructiveness surpasses that of the Ten-Tailed Beast. This is the same creature responsible for Kaguya's descent into madness: the hellish dragon called Kenrojin" she revealed a shocking detail of what the Moon actually was.

While all these revelations were shared, Sasuke was observing the gathered shinobis from the top of a nearby tree. So far, he had been intrigued by what these wisps were. However, he was still feeling miserable over what Yamato and Ino had told him. That being said, he didn't want to come out and rejoin them. Sasuke closed his eyes while gritting his teeth. He felt his entire body clench.

"It can't be true…..I refuse to believe that! Why would anyone of the Uchiha clan kill you….why would they….Saizo?" he asked himself while thinking about his cousin. As he wondered, a memory suddenly popped up into his head. He snapped. Surprisingly, Sasuke smiled when he thought about that memory. It was during a day he, Saizo and Itachi did something fun together and they even declared that they would all become proud great shinobis in the future. Sasuke started drifting back to the past, long before the massacre took place. A single tear was shed as he did that. "The promise we made…...I couldn't keep it in the end…...sorry Itachi" he thought while thinking about that day, which was actually one of the happiest of his life.

* * *

 _Flashback, many years ago, Uchiha Compound, Village Hidden in the Leaves_

Saizo Uchiha was born to Akihime Uchiha, twin sister of Mikoto and sister-in-law of Fukagu. Already as a young boy, his mother had always hoped he would be destined for something great, as did his relatives. At the time he was born, Fukagu had even declared that Saizo was under his protection, and that he may bring honor to the Uchiha clan as a whole. Saizo lived near the Uchiha household, where he became friends with his cousin Itachi, who was only a few years older than him. While the two did become great friends, Saizo never understood the trauma that made Itachi becoming a pacifist. He was rather focused on becoming a great Uchiha. But little did Saizo himself know that he was not capable of becoming such.

Despite being born, Saizo had a very frail and sick body. As he grew, he didn't start to develop his abilities required by a ninja. While children like Itachi and Shisui were talented during their days in the Academy, Saizo was not. This left him to be constantly looked down upon by his fellow Uchihas, even by Fukagu, who had begun regretting ever giving the boy his blessings. The Head of the Uchiha clan began treating his nephew coldly, but he was not the only target. Akihime also came to be viewed as a liability, given how she could've given birth to something as weak as Saizo. Other members of the clan followed suit. The only ones who treated Saizo and his mother kinder were his aunt Mikoto, the owners of the Uchiha Senbei: Teyaki and Uruchi and his cousins Itachi and Sasuke.

Sometimes, Itachi would often ask Saizo with helping him watch over little Sasuke when he was just a newborn and he did so out of kindness. During the night when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the Leaf Village, he was with Itachi and little Sasuke when they were evacuated to safety. As Sasuke grew, he would also develop a friendship with Saizo, despite his father strictly forbidding him. Truth be told, there was a time when Saizo was at a point happy in his life while being alive, and his death is amongst the saddest in the history of the Uchihas.

Young Saizo was now walking in the streets by himself, having just finished his day at the Academy. Once again, things didn't go well for the young boy and he faced the floor in shame. There was a test in throwing kunai today, and Saizo had failed miserably. As a result, he was ridiculed by his classmates, in the same manner as he experienced daily back in the Uchiha Compound.

"I flunked out again. What am I gonna do?" Saizo wondered, not wanting to make his mother sad once again. "She will definitely be in trouble with Uncle Fukagu for sure!" the young boy added to his worries. The young boy had always managed to hear the arguments his mother had with his uncle. They were painful to even hear.

But Saizo's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of several men standing before him giving him dirty looks. The spikey-haired boy couldn't look at them. These were clansmen of the Uchiha clan, who knew very well about Saizo, as well as his blood relations to the clan's leadership. From the looks of it, they couldn't stand him. In addition to being clansmen, they were also members of the Leaf Police Force. These men were Yashiro, Tekka and Inabi Uchiha.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing here, reject!?" Yashiro barked at Saizo, yet the young boy kept moving on, pretending he was not listening at all. "Shouldn't you be crawling back to your mother's womb!?" he then said with venom in his voice.

Saizo tried not to pay any attention to them and tried to walk away as fast as he could. He knew he could never fight these three adults, especially given how frail his body was.

The clansmen began laughing out loud while watching the little boy and one of them even did a humping gesture as a sign of mockery towards Saizo. "Speaking of your mother. I know her. I know her because I took her from behind!" Tekka mockingly said before bursting out into laughter.

Saizo felt himself sad on the inside by hearing all this and he just wanted to run away from these mean people. But before the young boy could even do that, Inabi had stretched out his foot so that Saizo could trip. The young boy fell onto the ground of dirt, feeling the pain. It was only more painful for him to listen as the clansmen took pleasure in bullying and teasing him.

"You think you're such a hotshot just because your related to Lord Fukagu's wife? Hardly! The only thing you are is an eyesore for all of us! Be thankful that you and that whore you call a mother are still allowed to live among us!" Inabi said before spitting upon Saizo while the others kicked dirt upon him.

Saizo only lied on the ground crying, feeling powerless to stand up against these clansmen, given that they were adults. Fortunately, this bullying didn't last for long and the clansmen soon took off to head back to their homes. But Yashiro looked over his shoulder to say some last words before joining his comrades.

"Why even bother attending the Academy when you fail your tests all the time!? Next time, stay home! You're only embarrassing yourself by even venturing outdoors!" the clansman told him as he, Tekka and Inabi laughed so loud.

Even though they were gone, Saizo was still lying on the ground sobbing. He couldn't even muster enough strength to even raise up on his feet. However, he slowly and steadily got up, only to see someone else standing before him. The young boy paused as he could see that it was Itachi, one of his cousins. The young boy was only watching him very curiously, yet Saizo was still sobbing a little from all the bullying. This was a part of the agony he had to deal with every day.

"Saizo. Why are you lying on the ground?" Itachi asked him. "And why are you crying?" he asked another question.

Tears still fell from the young boy's eyes. "I was being picked on…...by those guys again…..." Saizo sniffed as he tried to explain this to Itachi. "They spoke mean things about me and my mom…..." he added while crying from this pain.

"You mean Yashiro and the others did that to you? But why would they?" he asked his cousin.

"I don't know!" Saizo said before sobbing once again.

Itachi reached out a hand for his cousin, forcing Saizo to only glance up at him in surprise. He smiled at the crying boy, who slowly took the hand that was reaching for him. Helping up his cousin, Itachi brushed off the dust on Saizo's clothes and tried to comfort him as best as he could.

"Why don't we go back to my place? My father is not home and Sasuke would be more than happy to play with us" Itachi suggested to him.

No longer possessing enough strength to speak, Saizo simply answered Itachi by nodding his head as a yes. And thus, the two cousins headed to Itachi's home. By the time they arrived, Saizo had stopped crying and tried his best not to look sad in front of his younger cousin or his aunt. Once they entered the home, Mikoto stopped with what she was doing and smiled by seeing the two boys arrive.

"Mother. I am home" Itachi told her while looking up towards her.

"Welcome home, Itachi" Mikoto said before facing the boy standing behind her son. "Oh, and you are here as well, Saizo. So glad you could come visit us" the raven-haired woman told him with nothing but kindness in her voice.

Saizo nodded his head in awkward, before he even tried to bow his head formally, given that he was standing before the wife of Fugaku Uchiha. "Lady Mikoto…..it's an honor to…" Saizo spoke up, only for the woman to interrupt him by patting his head gently.

"Please, there's no need for you to address me so formally, Saizo. You're my dear nephew, as well as my twin sister's son. Calling me Mikoto is just fine" Mikoto insisted to him gently, while forming a slight mischievous expression on her face. "In fact, you can even call me Auntie Mikoto if you want. How about we do that as our little secret? Your uncle doesn't have to know" she then suggested to him while Saizo chuckled nervously.

"Eh…..okay" Saizo said, agreeing with what his aunt just said.

"Big brother!" the happy and kindhearted voice came from little Sasuke, who ran towards his older brother while embracing him in a tight hug. The two brothers did that as Mikoto watched them with pride. But it didn't take long before Sasuke also took notice of Saizo, and the young boy then proceeded towards the spikey-haired boy. "Cousin!" he then exclaimed before hugging him as well.

Saizo was stunned from what he was feeling, yet he couldn't deny how good it felt that his younger cousin actually looked up to him.

"Mother. Where is father?" Itachi asked Mikoto in his usual curious manner.

"He's still on the job at the Leaf Police Force. He will be home later" she gently answered him.

"Okay. Can me, Sasuke and Saizo are going out to the forest and play? We won't be there long, I promise" Itachi then asked his mother, trying to sound as honest and assuring as he could, despite his young age.

Seeing how enthusiastic her sons were, Mikoto had to smile. She also couldn't deny how determined Itachi was in watching over Sasuke. "Very well. You can play out in the forest. But promise me that you will not be there long. And you better take great care of your little brother, Itachi. I trust that Saizo will help you with that" she told him strictly while looking at Saizo, who quickly nodded his head repeatedly as a yes in reply.

"Thank you so much, mother! I promise you that Sasuke will be safe with me and Saizo" Itachi insisted before he took the hand of his little brother and lead him outside. Saizo followed suit.

"Bye mom! See you later!" young Sasuke told her while he couldn't wait getting to play with both Itachi and Saizo.

As she watched her sons and her nephew walk out of the compound before running through the streets, Mikoto had to feel happy for her Itachi and Sasuke. It was great that they were living in a safe environment such as this. But was it really? Once she was alone in the household, a single tear was shed from the raven-haired woman, indicating that everything was not what it seemed to be.

"Akihime…sister.…I'm sorry…" Mikoto said those words while thinking about her twin sister. She knew very well of the harassment and hate Akihime and her son were forced to deal with every day. But even though she was married to the Head of the Uchiha clan, Mikoto still didn't have enough power to make things better. "If only my husband could see what I see in you….." the woman added.

The three boys ran on the road before they entered the forest. This place was quite peaceful, a perfect place for young children to play in. Itachi, Sasuke and Saizo were now sitting near a stump that was small enough for the three of them to use as a table. In fact, there three cups standing on it.

"Isn't this place just beautiful?" Itachi asked his cousin and younger brother as he looked around. "There are so many things to play here with no one interrupting us" he told them.

"Yeah. It really is. I'm glad no ones here. Other than us, I mean" Saizo quickly responded while he looked up to see something climbing the branches of the nearby trees. "Oh l-look! There's a squirrel up in the trees!" he then said while pointing his finger upwards.

The three boys could see a squirrel climbing on the tree until it reached a hole in the middle. Sasuke quickly went over there, the young boy filled with excitement and curiosity at the same time.

"Wow! That squirrel entered that hole in tree! I wanna climb up and see how he lives!" Sasuke exclaimed while trying to climb up the tree.

Itachi had to smile, yet he knew what he had to do as an older brother. "No, no, Sasuke. We can't do that" he told while pulling Sasuke away from the tree.

"Aww home come?" Sasuke asked Itachi while huffing.

"Because it would be rude if we entered that squirrel's home. It probably has children in there. The same thing would be said if they entered out home. So let us leave them alone, Sasuke" Itachi explained to him.

"Oh, okay" Sasuke said before something else hit in the boy's head. "How about we play hide and seek? And I don't wanna be the one searching for you" he then said determined like any young boy would.

Itachi only shook his head in slight disbelief. But Saizo was very keen on playing hide and seek and he even raised his hand. "I can be the one searching. You two can hide. How's that?" Saizo said, offering to be the first looking for them.

The two brothers smiled, appreciating their cousin's offer. "Sounds good to me. Just count while leaning against this tree. And remember: do not peek like last time!" Itachi reminded him.

"I won't, I swear. But you also peeked when you did the counting" Saizo told him before he leaned against the tree while covering his eyes with his right arm. "Okay, I'm counting! 1….2…...3….4…." the young boy began counting while his cousins quickly started searching for hiding places. It was fun, even for little Sasuke. He managed to find a hiding place just fine. Even so, Saizo succeeded in finding Sasuke, although he had some difficulties in finding Itachi, who was quite the genius compared to him and Sasuke.

The three boys each took their turn to be the one counting and they all enjoyed hiding in this forest. It was a safe place for them to be at. Once they were done, they all gathered around the stump where the three cups were standing. Itachi began pouring what appeared to be water. Both Saizo and Sasuke were confused at why he did that. When finished pouring, Itachi held up his cup while facing his little brother and cousin with a smile.

"Listen, guys. Someday in the future, I bet we all end up becoming great shinobis who will fight for peace. That's what it means to be an Uchiha. So when we're all grown up, let us do this once again. It reminds us of who we are, as we are family" Itachi began explaining.

Saizo held up his cup and weakly nodded his head at Itachi. He was moved by his cousin's words. It only proved to him how he really mattered as a member of the Uchiha clan. "Yes! I will become a strong and powerful shinobi in the future! The grown-ups may laugh at me now, but I'll show them how I can make a difference!" he told Itachi, who was only happy to see his cousin's spirit being lifted.

Sasuke also held up his cup and faced Itachi. "I also wanna become a strong shinobi just like you, big brother! When I've done that, it will be my time to watch over you!" he then spoke up with so many ambitions, much to his older brother's amusement.

"I admire your tenacity Sasuke. But we will have to wait before that ever happens!" he said before moving his cup over the stump. "So let's do this guys. Someday, we will become great shinobis of the Uchiha clan together! So let's say this to make sure that we all promise!" Itachi said to Sasuke and Saizo.

"TOGETHER!" the three boys said in unison as they toasted their cups before drinking.

This was to become a symbol of their everlasting bonds. As they did that, the leaves above the trees began falling down. Why they did so remain a mystery. But some say it was because of the fact that the promise those three boys made together at this spot, would not exactly be fulfilled. None of these boys would ever predict what would happen to their lives in the future. Only time and fate would give the answers.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Authors' note: This chapter was an indeed touchy one, especially with the last part. I promised that I would make chapters with flashback scenes. The next chapter will have that as well, given how I want to tell you about Saizo. In this chapter, I also introduced you to these wisps, which are completely original material. It thought that the wisps would make perfect helpers to Naruto and the others, especially this Mother Wisp: Kukurihime (her name comes from a Japanese shrine goddess by the way). In the next chapter, I would also like to give the wisps an opportunity to help Sasuke finding the truth he seeks. They will also reveal more about why the crisis is more than just the Moon falling down. And of course, I may also get back to Hinata, given that the wedding will soon commence. I also have serious plans for Kiba, given how he's deeply in love with her. But until then, stay tuned for more. And here is who the voice actress of Kukurihime will be.**

 **Kukurihime – Hynden Walch**


	23. Revelations

**Author's note: Like the previous chapter, this one will also contain a flashback part. It will contain a very dark and dramatic part, so be prepared to read something traumatizing. I was inspired by the novel "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" written by John Boyne when writing this chapter. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 23: Revelations**

 _In an abandoned city on a mountain, the Moon_

On a rooftop overlooking the abandoned city high in the mountains, Sasuke was still in deep thought over the past he shared with both his older brother Itachi and his maternal cousin Saizo. The young Uchiha still refused to believe the rumors he had heard, about the fact that his cousin was murdered by his father Fugaku. He still remembered the kind of man he was during his childhood. Sure, Fugaku was sometimes stern and strict, yet he still deeply cared for his family and clan. He also knew through his brother how both Fugaku and Mikoto were forgiving towards Itachi during the Uchiha Clan Massacre. They also wanted him to watch over Sasuke. However, while Sasuke had managed to come to terms with his brother's actions, the question regarding Saizo still weighed on him heavily.

"Damn it!" Sasuke cursed to himself as he thought about what he had experienced so far. "Is there no end to this suffering!? Does it last forever!?" he wondered, still struggling with finding the answer.

"Not all who wonder are lost, Sasuke Uchiha" the raven-haired man's eyes suddenly opened once he could see where that voice was coming from. Looking down, he saw that the Mother Wisp called Kukurihime was now floating near his location. She was still glowing powerfully with her teal light. Sasuke continued to stare at it with surprise, albeit cautious as well. "Rest easy, mortal. I do not seek to bring up your torturous past. I only wish to offer you my services in helping you ease this confusion that dwells within you" she spoke to him with such tenderness in her voice.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her in return. "And what would that be?" he asked her, still not trusting her fully.

"If you come down to your friends, I will be able to show you something. I will tell you a story of a young boy who had a bright future ahead of him, yet was judged to be a failure. It is about the one you know as Saizo Uchiha" Kukurihime revealed to him.

As much as Sasuke wanted to angrily tell the wisp to leave him alone, he couldn't bring himself to do that. Her voice was so gentle and it was if she took pity upon him, as well as giving him sympathy. This astounded the young man. Reluctantly, he decided to follow the wisp and accompanied her back to the rest of the gang. Sasuke was facing the ground as he was following Kukurihime. The Wisp Queen could see this, yet she still led him the way.

"I don't get it. Why would someone as celestial as you be willing to help me?" Sasuke asked the glowing wisp. "And please give me an honest answer" he added, wanting to know why Kukurihime was really willing to help him with this mess.

"Your dear friends, Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno insisted that I help you, given how you struggle with finding the answers you seek. However, there is more than persuasions that I am willing to assist you, Sasuke" the wisp told him. "Unlike other shinobis of your village, I sense that despite all the darkness that surrounds you, you are indeed a purified human being on the inside, one of the few to exist among your kind. But then again, you are not the first one to have existed on the Earth. There existed many men before you" she added to her explanation.

Sasuke only shrugged his shoulder as he listened. "How does she know so much about me? Clearly there is more to her than meets the eye" the raven-haired man thought as he walked. He was growing slightly curious about what the Mother Wisp had just told him. "So you say that I'm a purified human being? What are the others you speak of?" he asked her, this time sounding gentler than before.

The wisp couldn't help but to giggle slightly, her voice offering so much tenderness to the conflicted Uchiha. "Your older brother was also a shinobi of pure heart. His sacrifices to protect those he loved fills me with the uttermost respect towards him" the Wisp Queen suddenly told Sasuke, the Uchiha focusing his attention on her. "Yes, even my people know of Itachi Uchiha. And there are others that exists among your clan, including Shisui Uchiha and his ancestor Kagami. All of you are known for inheriting the Will of Fire rather than the wicked Curse of Hatred" Kukurihime then insisted to him.

Sasuke didn't know what to say in return, yet he felt like staying mum for now. As a matter of fact, he was somewhat pleased to know that someone so mysterious as Kukurihime and her wisps knew about Itachi. He had a feeling that like his close friends, they were perhaps more sympathetic to his pain than other villagers of the Leaf.

"I see. However, I was never born with the Will of Fire. It didn't come to me before the end of the previous world war" Sasuke told Kukurihime.

"Yes. However, even though you were never born with it, you were helped by those who carried the Will of Fire. Your brother, as well as your close friends, they all helped you free yourself from the Curse of Hatred. That is why you are a purified human being, Sasuke Uchiha" the Wisp Queen told him.

Near the bonfire, the combined group of the Moon Expedition and the Triple Entente was waiting for both Kukurihime and Sasuke to arrive. Sasuke could see that Naruto, Sakura, Ino, Karin, Juugo, Suigetsu, Sai and Yamato were happy to see him coming back. However, he was still facing the ground. From the looks of it, Sasuke was not feeling talkative and his friends could see it based upon Sasuke's behavior.

Even so, Naruto decided to speak up, this time being more calm and mature than in his usual laidback persona. "I'm glad you're back, Sasuke. We were all worried about you, ya know" he told him as honest as he could.

"Remember, you can always talk to us whenever something's bothering you. We don't wanna lose a friend" Sakura told him as Sasuke listened carefully.

This time, Sasuke faced his longtime teammates and nodded at them weakly. He also formed a slight smile, indicating how appreciative he was for their words. It was now Sasuke had begun realizing how much his friends cared for him. Sasuke soon began turning his attention on both Yamato and Ino, the two of them surprised to see a hint of regret across Sasuke's expression.

"I would first like to apologize to the two of you for my earlier outburst. I didn't mean to get so mad. You were only trying to help me finding the answers. Therefore, I'm sorry" Sasuke apologized to the two of them in a earnest manner.

Both Yamato and Ino couldn't help but to smile in hearing this, admiring how Sasuke still had decency left in him as a person, despite his somewhat cold and distant personality. They both humbly accepted the apology.

"That was very sweet of you to say, Sasuke. I accept your apology" Ino told him with confidence in her voice. "Trust me, I've got plenty to be ticked off about myself" she added while even giving Sasuke a quick wink. Sasuke was still unsure of what she meant by doing that.

"I do that as well" Yamato spoke up, but he was not finished speaking to Sasuke. "I'm starting to like this new side of yours, Sasuke. I can see now why Naruto kept insisting you were redeemable" Yamato told him.

"I'm still paying for my crimes. But I'll come around" Sasuke told him, still smiling slightly.

While listening to Sasuke's apology, Shikamaru was about to open his mouth to say something. However, he was interrupted by someone covering his mouth with a hand. Looking to his left, he could see Chouji standing beside him shaking his head as a no. Apparently, he didn't feel like it was right for Shikamaru to say something sarcastic in order to enrage Sasuke. However, Shikamaru removed Chouji's hand and simply chuckled in amusement.

"Don't worry, Chouji. I wasn't gonna say anything stupid or sarcastic" Shikamaru insisted to him before facing Kukurihime. "Listen, Your Highness. I was wondering if whether you plan on revealing everything to in detail to Sasuke" he then told the wisp, surprisingly addressing her with such formality, which was odd, given his lazy tendencies.

"Yes. However, that will have to wait. My people and I will now begin the ritual in helping your friend find the answer he seeks" the Mother Wisp told him before she and her fellow wisps began forming a circle around the raven-haired man. "Beware, young Sasuke. What me and my people are about to perform will grant you the opportunity to see the past through another one's eyes. It will be harsh for someone like you to witness this, but you I understand you desire to find the truth, yes?" Kukurihime questioned Sasuke, making sure that he was willing to go through with this.

The raven-haired man pondered about the Wisp Queen's question. He was very reluctant to do this. But on another note, he really desired to find out more about what had been plagued his mind since the day he discovered his cousin being alive. That being said, Sasuke weakly nodded his head towards the wisps.

"Very well. I will take the chance. Do whatever you need to assist me with finding the truth" Sasuke answered her plainly. "I can't afford to let this nightmare become the rest of my life" he added, sounding slightly determined to put an end to this pain.

Kukurihime and her wisps circled around Sasuke, glowing with light as they did some sort of ritual around the raven-haired man. Sasuke was in for a surprise, once he could feel that he was being transported into a different world. However, he remained where he was, although his soul was perhaps someplace else.

"Close your eyes, Sasuke. This will be unlike anything you have ever seen" the celestial voice of Kukurihime could be heard as she and her wisps were circling around him.

As Kukurihime was helping Sasuke, Naruto and his friends could see how quickly Sasuke was in a deep trance, despite the fact that he was standing. "Let's hope this will help Sasuke finding what he's been looking for. I really want him to find peace" Naruto spoke up lowly before facing Sakura. "In the meantime, you and Ino should probably head over to see if Kiba and Akamaru are alright. Your healing talents could prove useful" he then gently suggested to Sakura.

Sakura looked at Ino, and she nodded her head in return. "Alright. We'll do that. You and the others stay here and watch over Sasuke. I have a feeling telling me that he won't feel normal once this is over" the pinkette insisted to him.

"That sounds like a good idea. Shall we go?" Ino questioned Sakura, before the two women were interrupted by someone's voice.

"If I may interrupt. Maybe I should join you" Karin suddenly spoke up, facing both Ino and Sakura with her generous smile. "I'm a healer as well, so perhaps I can be of some assistance to the two of you" the four-eyed redhead told them.

The Leaf kunoichis were more than pleased on having her onboard and so they went over to the abandoned house where Kiba and Akamaru were recuperating. Meanwhile, Naruto and the rest of the shinobis watched as the wisps began swirling around Sasuke. It was strange for them to watch, yet they would not interrupt the wisps.

As a matter of fact, the large group of shinobis began separating itself into many smaller groups. Right now, Komaza and Nejiri from the Grim Guard were now sitting on top of one of the ruined buildings watching the stars in the skies. The two Sand ninjas had never imagined they would make it so someplace as fascinating as the Moon.

"Wow! Just look at all these stars! It's a better view here than what we have back home. Too bad we can't see the Earth from here" Nejiri remarked while staring up the darkened skies. However, he could notice that his cousin was not paying any heed to him. "You've been awfully quiet ever since he got on the Moon, Komaza. Is there something wrong?" he gently asked him.

Komaza let out a deep sigh before replying. "Well, can you blame me? We're on the Moon and far away from home" the brown-haired man told him before thinking about something else. "Or more importantly, a loser like me is on the Moon. Must be either pure luck or a unique coincidence if you ask me" he spoke up while thinking about the subject.

Nejiri cooked an eyebrow at his cousin. "Don't tell me that you're still sour after people refused your leadership. Come on, you really didn't expect that people would follow your lead, would you?" he gently told Komaza, while making sure it was constructive criticism.

Komaza rested his hands behind his neck while scoffing at Nejiri's statement. "Tch, I was only asking for people to give me a chance. I mean, if people are willing to give a former international criminal like Sasuke Uchiha a chance then what's the worry about doing the same thing with me? I'm no criminal or anything" he explained while muttering about what had happened back at the portal.

"Honestly, that question is difficult for me to answer, Komaza" Nejiri replied in earnest. "On the other hand, you should be patting yourself in the back for not turning to crime in order to fit in the shinobi world. I really commend you for that, cousin" he then expressed his slight admiration of Komaza.

"You think so?" Komaza asked, admitting that he kind of appreciated Nejiri's words. "Man…..thanks for the feedback. I really needed to hear it" he confessed, much to Nejiri's utter surprise.

"That's weird. You always used to hate receiving feedbacks" Nejiri told him,

Komaza responded by simply shrug his shoulders. "Only if they were said to make me feel better. You know how I despise anything that's fake and stuff" Komaza clarified it for Nejiri.

Nejiri mused to himself and decided to return gazing up towards the stars in the black sky. He had to admit he was amazed by what he witnessed, although another part of him began thinking about his home village. Nejiri was especially thinking about his grandfather Ebizo. He wondered whether Komaza was thinking about the same thing, given how quiet he had behaved for now.

Not far from their location, Sari and Ittetsu were sitting underneath what appeared to be a maple tree. It was odd seeing trees standing in a high and cold environment such as this town. Then again, the two Sand ninjas had to admit that the tree was good in giving them shelter, as if they could actually sleep underneath it's branches and leaves.

"Well, these guys seem to find the stars interesting" Ittetsu remarked as he observed the two cousins sitting on the rooftop. He turned his attention to Sari, who was sitting and leaning against the tree itself, as if she was sleeping. "You feeling tired, Sari?" he asked her.

Sari had to yawn before replying to his question. "Yeah. But I don't feel like going to sleep now. We're on the Moon planning on attacking an alien overlord's castle. I'm certain that we will be needed for this attack" Sari told him before a slight frown began forming itself across her face. "Yutaka is a great asset. But it's a shame that Satetsu, Isago and Maki are not with us" she lowly lamented.

"I hear you" Ittetsu told her before taking a seat beside the brunette. "But we'll just have to do our best with what we have. And I think we all are capable of handling this challenge. Me, you, Mikoshi, Nejiri and probably Komaza, we're all gonna make it back to the Sand Village. That I swear" the ambitious Sand ninja told his friend.

Sari had to giggle in seeing how confident Ittetsu was behaving. It was quite rare for him to be like this, given how Ittetsu used to be a naïve and dimwitted shinobi a couple of years ago. But it would seem to her that the world war had changed him. It had done so to all the other ninjas of the Sand Village, even Gaara. However, this change was for the benefit of everyone in the world.

Shikamaru, Chouji and Shino were speaking to their respective clanmates who had joined the Shadow Squad: Ensui, Shito and Tatsuma. They were now having a slight discussion about the current situation on the Earth. Shikamaru even looked at his Armageddon Countdown Clock and watched as how so many times began passing by each second. It worried the Moon Expedition's second-in-command.

"Damn. Time sure flies while you're on the Moon" Shikamaru cursed as he kept observing the tiny device. "We better plan this attack quickly. At least Kukurihime was more than helpful in sharing with us some details about Toneri's castle" he remarked while facing his friends.

Shito folded his arms while huffing. "I don't know. If you ask me, It seems kinda fishy to trust the words of some tiny fairies" the clansman from the Akimichi clan stated his opinion on the matter.

Chouji let out a sigh in hearing this. "Give me a break, Shito. Even in the Shadow Squad you're this boastful and arrogant?" he berated Shito before facepalming. "You should consider yourself lucky that Commander Yugao picked you among the other clanmates. I mean, dad was secretly in favor of either Maruten or Makaro taking your place" Chouji then revealed, causing Shito to huff at him while turning his back on him.

"Yeah. Can't say I blame him for feeling that way" Tatsuma thought, agreeing with Chouji's sentiment.

"We will just have to trust what these wisps tell us. After all, they seem to be of pure heart. It's nothing like we've ever seen on Earth" Ensui encouraged his teammates to put faith in Kukurihime and her people.

"I've already done that. And the rest will follow soon" Shino assured him, before noticing that something was amiss. "Speaking of which, where is that Hyuuga you are comrades with?" he asked the members of the Shadow Squad.

"You mean Tokuma?" Tatsuma asked, to which Shino responded by nodding. "He said he wished to be alone for a while. I didn't ask him where he would go, but he's in this town at least. But I suggest that we leave him be for a while. I can't imagine what hard it is for him to know that his clan has been captured" the hooded Aburame informed Shino about his comrade's whereabouts.

There was a brief silence among this group once Tatsuma was finished. But that silence ended with Chouji speaking. "Poor Hyuugas…..I hope they're okay" the chubby man expressed his worries.

"The feeling is mutual. And Toneri told us what he had done to Hiashi and Hanabi. I pray to God that this madman hasn't done anything to Hinata. If so…then Kiba's heart will be shattered" Shino said, agreeing with Chouji's words.

Shito was somewhat confused by hearing what Shino was talking about. "Hold on. Shatter his heart? Are you saying that the Inuzuka-bum is dating the Hyuuga-heiress?" he quizzed Shino while almost starting to laugh. "This has to be some kind of joke. How did they end up dating? You know how those Hyuugas always resent other…." Shito was about to burst out laughing, until his mouth was shut by a giant handpalm belonging to Chouji. He had enough of Shito's mouth.

"No more word out of you, Shito! You've said enough" Chouji scolded him, his narrowing eyes never leaving sight of him. Shito quickly waved his hands at him while muffling through this giant grip of Chouji's. As such, Chouji removed his hand.

Shito was trying to catch his breath and his comrades were satisfied in seeing him doing that, considering how they had grown weary of listening to the diarrhea in Shito's mouth. "Why so mean to me? I was only trying to be humorous with ya!" Shito insisted to Chouji and the others.

Despite hearing this, they were not convinced by his words. "Well, speaking negatively about someone behind his or her back isn't necessarily that classified as being humorous, Shito. Rather, it's called "being a dick". How would you have liked if we did the same thing to you?" Ensui spoke up, the Nara clansmen trying to make Shito see how foolish and arrogant he was behaving.

Shito gave Ensui a dirty glance. "Screw you, Ensui! You've no right to lecture me given how you, Tokuma and Tatsuma actually do talk behind my back!" the chubby man spat and proceeded to walk away from his comrades in the Shadow Squad.

"Hmm, finally he's gone. That man never knows when to shut up" Tatsuma spoke up lowly.

Given that Shito was gone now, it made Shino remember something. "You know now that I think about it, it may be best if we went to see how Kiba is doing" Shino told his friends. "I'm one of his teammates, and if there is one person he is willing to speak to, it will be me. He won't be listening to Sakura or Naruto" the dark brown-haired man added, explaining the reason why he should go.

Shikamaru nodded at him in return. "Good idea, Shino. You along with Hinata and Kurenai-sensei are the only guys who know that hothead better than any of us. I mean, we all grew up as childhood friends and stuff, but Kiba's a completely different from when we were little" the wisecracking man from the Nara clan told Shino.

"Yes. I understand how difficult Kiba can be. But as his teammate, I ask that you give him a chance to make up for his shortcomings" Shino gently told them, reassuring how Kiba was not the reckless and impulsive guy as his friends knew him to be.

Chouji smiled in hearing this. "Come on, Shino. You know we haven't given up on him. And for the record, Kiba's always been a hothead. But now that he's a grown-up, his behavior needs work" he told what he thought about Kiba.

Hearing these words made Shino smile. It was good to know how Kiba's friends were not giving up on him, despite his reckless moves. And so, he proceeded to head towards the abandoned building where Kiba was recuperating. It didn't take long before Chouji also felt the need to leave the group. But the reason for that was simple.

"Look, I'm gonna go and see how Shito is doing. And if any of you felt offended by his attitude then I sincerely apologize. But beneath his arrogance lies an entirely different person. I'll see what I can do" the heir to the Akimichi clan told his friends before taking his leave.

Shikamaru couldn't help but to yawn, thus signalizing his need for sleep. "I swear, this entire day has been quite a mess. I'm almost on the verge of falling asleep here" he remarked while rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"We all feel the same way" Ensui pointed out, he himself starting to feel his energy slipping away. "Maybe it's best if we rest only a little. It can't hurt to save some energy at least" he suggested.

Shikamaru had to admit that he wanted to do that, even smiling when hearing Ensui's suggestion. "Tempting, but no. Besides, I'm not the same guy as I used to be when I was kid. Hell, I now realize how much of a lazyass I really was back then" Shikamaru told the Nara clansman before forming a slight frown. "But not anymore. Now, I'm up for serious shit and whatever it takes to survive. This episode is no different than the world war. Therefore, I won't be sleeping" he added.

Ensui nodded is head in understanding. "I see. Well, then I better do that so that I'm prepared for whatever battle we're up against. Sweet dreams, Shikamaru" he told him before taking his leave.

This left Shikamaru by himself. He reached for a cigarette and began smoking. As he did that, he really started to think about how complicated this mission actually was. He was certain that Naruto and the others knew that as well.

"Tch, what a load of crap" Shikamaru muttered to himself while puffing.

The ritual happening before the old bonfire continued, and the wisps were circling around Sasuke. However, as he had his eyes closed, he began flinching with his face. This only confirmed to the wisps that it was working. Sasuke was now able to find the answers, while seeing everything from another one's eyes.

"What is all this?" Sasuke asked within him. "Just what the hell am I seeing?" he asked once again, not believing this kind of ritual.

* * *

 _Flashback, many years ago, the Uchiha Compound, Village Hidden in the Leaves_

In a small house not far from the home of Fugaku Uchiha and his family lived Akihime Uchiha and his son Saizo. Akihime was the fraternal twin sister of Mikoto Uchiha, Fugaku's wife. Despite the healthy relationship shared between the sisters, the same thing couldn't be said for Akihime's brother-in-law, as well as other high-ranking members of the Leaf Police Force. Due to her giving birth to someone as fragile as Saizo, Akihime would also be the target of the Uchiha clan's resentment towards failures, not just her son. It was during a time when relations between the clan and the Leaf Village was at its lowest and the Uchihas were planning a coup against the Hokage and the village's leadership. Therefore, it was important that no weak elements could be living among them. Otherwise, the Uchihas' plans would fail miserably.

Because of this, Fugaku had forbidden both Akihime and Saizo of ever entering his home, and they were forced the settle in a house somewhere near the compound. Even so, it didn't stop all this resentment.

One such time was during afternoon, when Akihime was given an unexpected and gruesome visit from none other than her brother-in-law: Fugaku. Joining him were members of the Leaf Police Force: Yashiro and Inabi Uchiha. However, these two men where holding a teenage boy by his arms. It was Saizo. The moment Akihime caught glimpse of this, she froze in fear and shock at the same time. However, she quickly bowed her head towards Fugaku in formality.

"Lord Fugaku…..what brings you here….!?" Akihime, dressed in a white blouse and red apron, asked while taking a glance at her son being held by the two men like he was a criminal caught red-handed. "And why is Saizo being held like this!?" she then asked while trying to help her son free from those captors.

However, a strong left arm was blocking her way and Akihime quickly stopped. It was Fugaku's doing. The Head of the Uchiha clan was glaring at the woman with nothing but disappointment. "Insolent woman! Didn't we already discuss what our terms for letting you live near my home were!?" he bellowed loudly.

Akihime quickly snapped back into her senses by nodding repeatedly. "Y-yes! I remember them all, I s-swear!" she insisted, although it did not change her outlook.

Fugaku scowled. "Then why do I see that thing of yours playing with my sons, entering our home, and waltz around the streets like some clueless fool!? I strictly forbid him from ever make contact with Itachi or Sasuke!" he roared, sending shivers towards everyone's spines. The middle-aged man fixed his glaring eyes upon his despised nephew, the teenage boy never looking back at him. Both Yashiro and Inabi began pushing Saizo forward, so that he landed on his stomach. Akihime immediately rushed to his side while trying to comfort him. "This failure will never be allowed near my sons ever again! His weakness and fragility must not be spread to them, as well as the other aspiring members of the clan. Such is my will, and it will be obeyed!" he then went on speaking about Saizo in such a degrading manner.

Akihime could hear Saizo sobbing, much to the disgust of Fugaku and his two subordinates. They couldn't stand how much a crybaby and weakling Saizo really was. However, his mother still had enough strength to speak up her mind.

"You're taking this too far! No way can Saizo poison either Sasuke or Itachi! He doesn't have the ability to do so!" Akihime launched her tirade against Fugaku, whose eyes remained calm, yet angry. Feeling more determined, Akihime rose up to her feet and got up to the clan head's face. "WE ALL KNOW THAT! SO WHY IN THE WORLD DO YOU STILL BLAME SAIZO AND ME FOR ALL THE SHORTCOMINGS OF YOUR…" the raven-haired woman's verbal attack was ceased once a slap was delivered to her face. It was quite hard, and Akihime found herself falling onto her behind.

Fugaku narrowed his eyes, having just angrily slapped his sister-in-law. And from the look of his face, he didn't seem to regret it one bit. The slap was hard and it succeeded in even making Akihime's nose bleed.

"Don't you EVER take that tone with me, wench! I am your superior here!" Fugaku berated Akihime.

Despite the pain she was feeling, Akihime still had enough strength to speak. "Well, my twin sister is your wife! How can you be married to Mikoto if you keep abusing her sister and her nephew!? Is that a way of expressing yourself grateful towards us!?" she blurted out in all her anger.

These words made Fugaku lose his temper. Without warning, he angrily kicked his sister-in-law in her face, thus sending her lying on the floor, blood sprouting out of her lips.

Saizo was crying and screaming in fear, and he quickly rushed to his mother's side. Akihime barely had enough strength to even raise up to her knees. The teenage boy turned his attention to his uncle and the two clansmen. His eyes were furious, albeit teary.

"You monster! Don't hurt my mother!" Saizo angrily charged towards Fugaku, only for Yashiro and Inabi to prevent that from happening. The two men took pleasure in punching Saizo, using him as a punching bag.

"Misfit! You dare lay hands on Lord Fugaku!?" Inabi spoke up while planting his feet on Saizo's back.

"I told you should've stayed home, didn't I, you piece of shit!?" Yashiro angrily asked as he stomped on Saizo's fingers, causing Saizo to scream in pain.

Akihime could see the abuse her son was experiencing and became despaired. "WAIT! STOP! LEAVE MY SON ALONE! I BEG FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS, MY LORD!" the raven-haired woman pleaded to the clan head while cowering before him. Tears and blood were streaming endlessly from her face.

Fugaku and his subordinates simply stood and glared at her, starting to vent their distaste towards her now. They couldn't believe how motherhood had made someone like Akihime that soft. It was unbelievable, as they knew how Uchiha women were supposed to act.

"Your cowardice disgusts me! I had expected you to at least possess the maturity Mikoto has! Apparently, I was foolishly mistaking" the clan head told her and turned around to exit the house. But before he opened the door, he would leave a warning for both his sister-in-law and nephew to hear. "This will be your final chance, Akihime. If you can't adhere to the concessions, both you and your boy will suffer the consequences. The Uchiha clan cannot afford to have weaklings amongst its ranks. Remember that fact! And do NOT ever raise your voice against me! Otherwise, it will be the last sound you make while you breathe" Fugaku warned the two before exiting the house.

Both Yashiro and Inabi laughed at the pair before following their superior. These two men were ruthless when it came to carrying out orders in the interests of the Uchiha clan. The case with Saizo was no exception. With them gone, Akihime could finally help up her sobbing son. Although she was already distraught from this abuse she received from Fugaku, Akihime would not let her son down.

"Saizo…it's over now…they're gone…." Akihime told her son sweetly albeit weakly while stroking his black hair. "Are you alright, my son?" she asked him in a motherly tone.

Saizo was still crying, and Akihime could see the bruises on his face. In return, Saizo could see how bloodied and sad his mother's face was. But still, the mother and son managed to find comfort in one another

"Mom…why does Uncle Fugaku treats us like this while Aunt Mikoto doesn't?" Saizo asked through his sobs. "Aren't families supposed to stick together!?" he asked before bursting out into tears once again.

Akihime hugged her son tightly, even though she was on the verge of crying herself. "Hush, little one. While he may not show it to us, I know for a fact that Fugaku still value us greatly as members of the Uchiha clan. Nobody can't be that heartless…." Akihime said, although she felt incredibly naïve in saying this to her son.

Still, it didn't ease the pain the pair was experiencing. The two held onto each other until the door to their house opened once again. Akihime was feeling stressed, wondering if Fugaku had come back to deliver more punishment or abuse to them. Saizo hugged himself onto his mother, fearing the worst. But once she could see who had entered the home, Akihime's fears died out. In fact, she was smiling, probably for a very long time.

Entering the door was the ever kind-hearted and good-natured owners of the Uchiha Senbei: Teyaki and Uruchi Uchiha. These two were among the few Uchihas that treated Akihime and her son more fairly.

"Oh my goodness!" Uruchi was filled with disbelief in what she was seeing and ran over to Akihime and her son. "What happened to the two of you?" she asked while observing their bloodied faces.

Since Saizo was too traumatized to even speak up, Akihime felt it as her obligation to answer. "Fugaku caught glimpse of Saizo playing with Itachi and Sasuke. And this is what he, Yashiro and Inabi did to us in response" the raven-haired woman explained, the beauty being on the verge of tears.

The couple couldn't believe what they were hearing. "There, there, Akihime. There's no reason for you to be sad anymore" Uruchi comforted Akihime and did that to the teenage boy as well. In fact, the middle-aged woman even smiled at the mother and her son. "Me and Teyaki came over here to bring you something. Why don't you show it to them, dear?" she looked up to her husband, who put down a basket for both Akihime and Saizo to see.

But what was in this basket surprised the two. It was full of senbei. Saizo, who had stopped sobbing, picked up a senbei and started eating it. It felt so good to eat in order to heal this pain.

Akihime was unsure about this and looked at the middle-aged couple with a worried glance. "You're giving us senbei. I appreciate your kindness, but what if Fugaku or his followers discover this? They will come after you" she expressed her fears of dragging others into this abuse.

Teyaki shook his head firmly. "No reason to worry, Akihime. He won't find out. No one will. This will be our little secret" he told him before thinking about what Akihime had told him and his wife. "Good grief. Why does Lord Fugaku take issues with your son playing with Itachi and Sasuke? They both appreciate him for who he is, as does your sister. Somehow, I fear that the responsibilities he carries are only poisoning him" Teyaki went on expressing his opinions of the clan head.

"Because both Itachi and Sasuke are destined for something big. Fugaku believes that my son will bring them his misfortunes upon them. But my son has no misfortunes! I can become a great shinobi and he will!" Akihime replied, once again being firm and determined in her voice.

"Yum! This senpei is delicious!" Saizo said before facing the middle-aged couple. "Can I have some more?" he asked them.

Uruchi nodded her head at him. "Of course, Saizo. Eat as much as you like" she told him sweetly.

Before Saizo could even reach for the senpei, Akihime quickly embraced her son in a tight hug. While this caught the teenage boy by surprise, Saizo returned it.

"Don't worry, Saizo. Someday, you will grow up to be a fine shinobi. I just know it" Akihime assured her son.

Saizo admitted to himself that he needed to hear those words. "I will, mom. I promise you" he told her in return.

Both Teyaki and Uruchi had to smile in hearing how Akihime was not someone who would give up. They both knew that she was the only thing that made Saizo's life not as miserable. The mother and son had each other to lean upon and it worked perfectly. After finishing eating, the middle-aged couple treated the injuries on the mother and son. The bleedings and bruises were treated with the help of cotton. Although puffing on their injuries did hurt a little, it was for the best. Neither Akihime nor Saizo wanted to be stuck with such for a long period.

"But be honest with me, you two. Why have you decided to give us these senpei?" the raven-haired woman questioned them as her bleedings had gone away.

Teyaki paused and smiled at her. "It was your dearest sister, Lady Mikoto. She pleaded to us in helping yo by giving you some food. We were more than willing to do that" he told her, yet Akihime was gasping.

"Despite what you may think, your sister still cares for you, Akihime. And unlike her husband, Mikoto also values her nephew dearly. She is also supportive of Saizo playing with Itachi and Sasuke" Uruchi informed the raven-haired woman.

As much as she was glad to hear these words, there existed some doubts within Akihime. A part of her wanted to feel grateful towards Mikoto for still reaching out a hand to her. But another part of her felt she was not doing enough to make her husband see the error of his ways and was quick to side with Fugaku during his usual verbal tirades against her or her son.

"I don't know. I mean, I care for Mikoto as my sister, but sometimes…it's difficult for me to see her as such. Things aren't the way they used to be anymore" Akihime told the couple. "I've always asked Mikoto if Fugaku has ever treated him fairly as her husband. But so far, she hasn't been giving me any clear answer. That makes me realize how distant we've grown from each other over the years" the raven-haired woman remarked while thinking about her twin sister.

"Have no fear, Akihime. Me and my wife believe that someday, you and your son will be redeemed for your shortcomings. In fact, I hope Saizo one day grow up to become a shinobi on an equal level to Itachi" Teyaki encouraged the woman to stay strong.

Hearing this made Akihime smile, and Saizo did the same thing. Perhaps he was right. Someday in the future, they would claim their right as shinobis of the Uchiha clan. Then, they would prove to Fugaku that neither were disgraces to the clan. But unfortunately, that would never happen. And the only reason for that….is due to their deaths.

As the months passed and Itachi managed to gain membership in the ANBU Black Ops alongside long-time friend Shisui Uchiha, things didn't seem well for Saizo. The teenager had failed the Chuunin Exams, something which only triggered strong reactions from the Uchiha clan. The fact that an Uchiha failed the exams was an embarrassment to say at least. Most people in the Leaf Village had expected him to pass. A deep depression clouded over Saizo's head. But then came the day that would be considered one of the most atrocious acts committed by an Uchiha. This event was only dwarfed by the Uchiha Clan Massacre that would happen later.

Inside the Leaf Police Force's HQ, Fugaku was no having a secret meeting with all his subordinates. The Uchiha clan controlled the Leaf Police Force, and as such, they were remarkable in keeping information to themselves. Even the ANBU Black Ops were unaware of how they really operated. But even so, this meeting was unlike anything the members had ever been to.

Fugaku was in a very sour mood as his subordinates had gathered in this dark room where some candles had been lit. The Head of the Uchiha clan had heard of what had happened during the Chuunin Exams. He was not satisfied. But at the same time, he was also worried about how Saizo's failure was putting the Uchiha clan in a bad picture.

"You all know why I have called you here" Fugaku spoke up sternly, his voice as hard as iron itself. "The rumors about Saizo, they keep being spread across the Leaf Village like an epidemic" he informed them.

One of the subordinates, the man named Yakumi Uchiha decided to speak up his mind. "But why does that matter to us? They won't harm our plans to…" Yakumi was interrupted as he was angrily grabbed by the collar of his vest. It was Fugaku's doing, the middle-aged man glaring at his subordinate as if his eyes were piercing through him.

"Of course, they do, Yakumi! It will affect our plans to gain control of the Leaf Village!" Fugaku told him while gritting his teeth. "If we are to make all the other clans of the Leaf submit to us, then we can't allow ourselves to be viewed as weaklings! That will only jeopardize us!" he made it clear to Yakumi before letting go of his collar.

Without delay, Yakumi quickly bowed his head in shame. "I apologize dearly, Lord Fugaku. Your explanation made it clear to me now" he told his superior, not wanting to draw the ire of the clan head himself.

Fugaku sighed deeply before continuing. Surprisingly, he found himself smiling, which he did rarely. "Itachi has become the perfect heir to the clan as I had hoped. That and his membership in the ANBU only demonstrates the kind of talent he possesses. However, I know for a certain fact that Sasuke will become a great shinobi as well. Young as he may be, Sasuke will grow up to become strong one day" he spoke highly of his sons, especially Sasuke. This was rare, given how he never really gave much praises to his youngest son. A frown soon began forming itself across Fugaku's face once again. "But as long as my boys keep having this failure near them, I fear how he could eventually affect them as shinobis. Saizo will only ruin their potentialities. That, I must prevent" he went on explaining his worst fears.

"I agree with you on that, my lord" Yashiro spoke up. "And not only is it him. That cocky and foulmouthed mother of his! She is also becoming a stain upon our clan" he went on expressing his opinions of Akihime.

"That woman has been nothing but trouble. She's nothing like Lady Mikoto" Inabi stated while narrowing his eyes. "I even hear rumors that Akihime got pregnant when she attended a festival somewhere in the Land of Fire. The man she was seen being close with turned out to be nothing but a drunkard!" he went on.

"A drunkard you say? Tch, no wonder that kid's such a screwup" Tekka joined in the conversation.

"Something must be done this urgent" the voice came from Kagen Uchiha, who worked in the Leaf Police Force's logistical department said before facing his superior. "Lord Fugaku, we beg of you. There must be some way we can do in order for the clan to remain strong for the coup" he told the clan head.

Fugaku's eyes was shut for a while, indicating that he was now in deep thought. But he soon broke the silence when he spoke up. "There is one, but only way to do it. And it must be done swiftly" he informed his subordinates.

All the Uchihas were starting to feel slightly stunned in what their leader was planning. However, they were also confused to what Fugaku was trying to come up with.

"What exactly do you mean, my lord?" Inabi questioned him.

In hearing this, Fugaku opened his eyes. But this time, they showed everyone his crimson-red Sharingan. Those cold eyes only signalized nothing but killing intent. The Uchihas were slightly stunned in seeing this, yet they knew better than to question Fugaku's methods.

"Lord Fugaku…..are you suggesting we….." Yashiro lowly spoke up, only for Fugaku to interrupt him sternly.

"Yes, Yashiro. It must be done. Exile or house arrest are no longer options. We must get rid of them forever. They will both die" Fugaku said, causing his subordinates to gasp at his announcement. "We cannot allow them to continue dishonor our clan further. Therefore, I have come to this decision in executing them both. However, their deaths will only be dismissed as a terrible illness. None of the other Uchihas or the ninjas of the Leaf will know of how they will really die. Only we of the Leaf Police Force will know the truth" the clan head went on explaining what his plans were.

Still, some of the Uchihas standing in the hall were reluctant to take the life of another Uchiha. But they were only a minority compared to the majority who supported Fugaku's decision.

"Lord Fugaku is right" Yakumi spoke up, agreeing with what his superior was suggesting. "That whore and his misbegotten child will only bring stain upon us Uchihas if they continue to bring us these humiliations and embarrassments. However, they will be sacrificed for the greater good, which is our dominion over the Leaf Village!" the Uchiha with the topknot told his comrades, and they cheered in agreement.

"Yes! We are THIS close in controlling the Leaf Village! Some of the mightier clans such as the Hyuugas, Aburames and the Akimichis, still doesn't take our might seriously. That has only been reinforced with Saizo's failures!" Inabi spoke up. "But once they're gone, those blind bastards, miserable bugs and big lardasses will think twice before daring to stand against the might of the Uchihas!" he went on badmouthing the other clans of the Leaf.

"Yeah! And let's not forget about the lousy mutts of the Inuzuka clan, the flower-sniffing douchebags of Yamanaka clan and the annoying faggots of the Nara clan. All of them makes me wanna puke!" Yashiro joined in on insulting the other clans. He then faced Fugaku. "You are absolutely correct, my lord. We must allow that little squirt Saizo to bring dishonor upon our clan. We must act!" he added to his explanation.

Fugaku was proud to know that his followers were with him. But was there something else that he needed to worry about? The Head of the Uchiha clan soon realized that he would have to do something with his wife in order to make her see how the clan's survival mattered more than Akihime's or Saizo's.

"Then let us begin our plans for now. At first, we must tell all the other Uchihas how Akihime and Saizo are diagnosed with a terrible disease. Then, we will make our move against them" Fugaku told everyone of what the steps of his plans were. However, he was now reflecting on the choices he had made and how it would affect his family. "At this rate, family matters not. I won't be judged for preserving the Uchiha clan's strength, even if it some it's members will be sacrificed for the greater good. I didn't want to do this way, but given how serious this situation is, I cannot be willing to sit back and let our plans fail! I will make our clan great again!" Fugaku said, his Sharingan only empowering his coldness and ruthlessness. Even so, his followers all bowed their heads before him, like anyone serving under him would. He was their leader and as such, his commands had to be obeyed.

Once this meeting was finished, the Leaf Police Force began spreading those rumors amongst the other Uchihas about Akihime and Saizo being diagnosed with a terrible disease. In the meantime, Fugaku made sure to plan out the killings carefully, even informing them to his wife. The moment Mikoto heard what was being said, she was crying and pleaded for her husband to reconsider this move. However, the moment Fugaku showed her his Mangekyo Sharingan, she froze. She was no match for her husband, and if she ever dared speaking against him, it would only lead to her own death. Therefore, Mikoto was forced to do what would be any sister's worst nightmare: watch as Akihime and her son were murdered in cold blood.

The deaths were something only the Uchihas of the Leaf Police Force knew of. Neither Sasuke nor Itachi got wind of how it happened. Even so, Saizo's death would change the two brothers. It started with young Saizo walking home after a sad and humiliating day at the Academy. Since failing the Chuunin Exams, Saizo had been constantly targeted for his frail body and weakness. Even his teammates did that as well. Resentful, Saizo decided to return home, and see if Itachi or Sasuke was available to play with. Even though he failed the Exams, Itachi was still befriending Saizo. And Sasuke had little idea of what the Exams even were, so Saizo withheld that information.

"I wonder how Itachi and Sasuke are doing. I know that Itachi is out in the fields, but I'm not sure about Sasuke though" Saizo wondered as he neared his house. "He told me that he believed his father had begun taking notice of him. Good for you, Sasuke. But what about me? He never says anything particular. I really envy Sasuke and Itachi sometimes" the young boy added to his thoughts while thinking about his two cousins.

Kicking the dust outside the tiny house, Saizo sighed and was ready to enter the home and see if his mother was inside. Getting off his sandals, the teenage boy rushed into the living room.

"Mom! I'm home!" Saizo called out, yet he received no answer. This was strange, considering how she would always respond and even hug him whenever he came home from Academy or whatever. "Mom, are you here? I said I'm home!" the raven-haired boy asked wondered whether Akihime had gone to sleep or something.

Once the young boy entered the tiny living room, Saizo's black eyes widened in shock and fear. He was seeing something so horrendous that it turned his whole world upside down. It was a woman hanging against the wall with kunai stuck in her hands, feet, knees and elbows. It was so disgusting and blood ran from her body. But this was no ordinary woman. It was Akihime! The beautiful mother was now hanging there lifeless.

In seeing this, Saizo's eyes started to cry, and his voice of despair could be heard. "MMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!" the teenage boy yelled in what he was seeing. His mother was now hanging against the wall in a gruesome and lifeless stage. It was traumatizing for the boy to take. "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!" Saizo cried out in despair of what he was seeing.

Saizo walked over to where his mother's corpse was hanging. He didn't want to believe it, but it was all too real. Her body never made a move. Saizo fell onto his knees, his eyes still filled with tears. How could this have happened? His mother was dead! Murdered inside their home! But it didn't take long before the teenage boy began to realize who it really was that had done this atrocious act. At the same time, someone had entered the home and was watching the crying boy.

"Your keep sobbing like a little brat. How disgraceful" a familiar voice called to him from behind. "It is as noisy as the screams your mother made not so long ago" it added with no emotion in his voice.

"You….." Saizo spoke up lowly as he knew who that person was. The one who was standing in the living room was none other than his own uncle. Fugaku Uchiha was standing there, his Mangekyo Sharingan already activated. These eyes only struck fear into the little boy. Even so, he still had some courage to speak up. "You…...killed my mother…" the teenage boy uttered out those words.

Fugaku's gaze remained unfazed. "I was the one who knocked her into unconsciousness. But it was Yashiro, Takka and Inabi who did the rest of the things with her body. Even so, she will no longer bring shame to the Uchiha clan, ever again! This is her punishment for giving birth to a failure such as you you!" he then spoke with nothing but venom in his voice.

The moment Saizo heard that word failure, his mind changed completely. Over the years, he had resented being called that, not just from the other Uchihas, but from other villagers of the Leaf as well. The pain of hearing that word only brought more anger into the fragile boy's mind. As tears still streamed from his eyes, Saizo charged towards Fugaku with all the strength he could muster.

"YOU BASTAAAAAAARRRRRRDDDDDD!" Saizo yelled at the top of his lungs as he tried to attack Fugaku.

However, he was no match for the superior strength of Fugaku and as such, the teenager was knocked out into unconsciousness once the clan head delivered a powerful attack on his neck. The young boy lied on the floor motionless. Using a kunai, Fugaku began tearing up Saizo's sweater, until his upper torso was exposed, or more specifically his back. On Saizo's back was written a large Kanji. It was the one that symbolized failure: 敗. Fugaku only scowled in seeing it, closing his eyes in order to not look at it.

"Failure…just as you are" he spoke up before motioning for his followers to come inside. "Clean up the mess in this house. And make sure no traces of blood are left in the open. No one but us will know what happened right here. And bring these two over at the lake. It is there where they will be resting" he told them.

The clansmen then proceeded to pick them up and bring them to the lake that existed in the Uchiha Compound. It was night and everyone was asleep, except for the members of the Leaf Police Force. They decided to carry out these killings as quickly as possible. It was during the time of the night when the Moon was on full display, similar to the night the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the Leaf Village.

The evening had arrived and Saizo was now bound to a chair while being surrounded by members of the Leaf Police Force. Not only was he bound by ropes, he was also bound by having kunai stuck through his arms and legs. It was painful for him to bear. Thanks to the kunai, his arms were stuck on the chair's armpits. He was powerless to do anything and these men took pleasure in seeing him in pain. They each took turns in beating the boy senseless, his face bleeding endlessly. He cried and even fell onto the ground while being tied to this chair. Barley managing to see, Saizo managed to catch a glimpse of Fugaku and even Mikoto standing there.

But while Fugaku kept glancing at him nonchalantly, Mikoto was wearing a hooded cape, crying to herself. She couldn't stand over what she was seeing her nephew going through. In a way, it looked as if she was pleading for all this to end quickly.

"Aunt Mikito….HELP ME! HELP ME! PLEASE, HELP ME…" Saizo cried out for help, only for the Uchihas to keep attacking him to demonstrate their open disgust towards him.

"Shut the fuck up, failure! You're only ruining the peaceful night, just as you ruin everything you come across!" Yashiro spat at him while continuing with this abuse.

"Yeah! People like you doesn't even deserve a squat of support!" Tekka joined in. "You don't even deserve to be looked at!" he added to his insults.

"It's a shame that your dad was nothing but a dumbass drunk! Otherwise, I would've fucked your mom till I felt satisfied! Perhaps then you wouldn't have been born a failure!" Inabi then said before he and the other Uchihas began laughing out loud.

Saizo continued to endure this abuse and torture, crying as he felt all these harsh words coming from these men. Once again, he tried to look at both Fugaku and Mikoto, pleading for help. The young boy couldn't take it anymore.

"UNCLE FUGAKU…AUNT MIKOTO…PLEASE HELP ME!" he pleaded to the cold man. "I'M SORRY FOR BEING BORN A FAILURE! I'M SORRY FOR BEING SUCH A WEAKLING! I'LL DO ANYTHING TO MAKE YOU SEE WHO I REALLY AM!" he pleaded to them.

Fugaku walked over to the crowd and proceeded to angrily kick Saizo in his stomach. Blood sprouted out from his mouth as he did that. The other Uchihas grinned sadistically while Mikoto kept crying for her nephew. As a matter of fact, she even pleaded silently.

"Forgive me, sister…." Mikoto said while trying to at least look at her abused nephew. "Please do not hate me for all this! I NEVER WANTED ANY OF THIS TO HAPPEN!" the raven-haired woman cried as she watched Saizo being taken away, the young boy still being tied to this chair.

As battered as Saizo was, he realized that hey were intending on throwing him down into the lake. He was certain that his mother's corpse had been thrown there as well. He looked at the Moon one last time, his face covered in blood and tears. He pleaded for help on the inside.

"This is what we Uchihas really are, Saizo! We have no room for failures such as you and your mother! That is why it has come to this moment! You will be punished for bringing shame upon our clan name!" Fugaku bellowed loudly.

Saizo still had enough strength to speak. "Please don't…..PLEASE DOOOOOOOOOOOOON'T!" the teenage boy pleaded, only to be put right before the end of the bridge.

The Uchihas were laughing, ready to kick the chair anytime, especially Yashiro and Inabi, who took pleasure in seeing this little boy getting tortured both physically and emotionally. But before either of them could even start something mischievously, a strict and cold voice interrupted them.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Fugaku angrily commanded, and all of them did as he prepared a jutsu. His Sharingan was now activated, meaning that Fugaku was really intending on finishing his nephew once and for all.

"HAVE MEEEERCUYYYYYYYY!" Saizo pleaded one last time, but it was too late for him.

"SHUT UP AND DIE! YOUR DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR ENDS HERE!" Fugaku yelled before performing some hand seals. "Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!" the middle-aged man yelled and by gathering Chakra within himself, he released the fire. It was formed into a sea of flame and it was quite wide, thus unavoidable.

Saizo was too late to even try to escape or even make a move. This was it. He was now finished. No longer would he have the opportunity to save himself. When the fires consumed him, Saizo screamed in agony and he was sent flying above the water before finally falling into it. Even so, Saizo no longer possessed any breath in his body. He no longer had the power to even swim up. The dying both was now drowning, yet he could still see the shining Moon high above him.

Seeing the Moon reminded Saizo about all the good things he had at least experienced, including being able to befriend his cousins: Itachi and Sasuke. He still remembered the time when they were playing together, as well as drinking the cups as an oath to become stronger shinobis. As he kept remembering them, Saizo realized that he would never become that. It was never his fate. His fate had already been decided before he even managed to make friends with his cousins. Slowly and steady, Saizo fell to the bottom of the lake, his eyes closing. Saizo Uchiha was now dead alongside his mother.

On the bridge where Saizo had been previously standing, Fugaku was now standing at the edge of the bride all by himself. He was all alone. Even his wife had decided to return home, not being able to bear witness to more of this traumatizing scene. The middle-aged man was now aware of his actions. But there was something else. Now that he was finally alone, Fugaku could now really express his true feelings.

Soon, tears began falling from his formerly hateful eyes. This only confirmed one thing now. Fugaku was filled with regret over his decisions. He still couldn't believe how long it would take before he would stop making all these wrong choices. Was this really beneficial to the Uchiha clan in any way? Would this even prepare them for the upcoming coup against the Leaf Village. So many thoughts swirled inside Fugaku's head, yet he was more focused on the fact that both his sister-in-law and nephew, whom he had sworn to protect, were both dead at his hands.

And so, Fugaku and Mikoto went on to tell every Uchiha about how Akihime and Saizo had died due to their supposed illnesses. He didn't show them their bodies, but their coffins were more than enough to convince the clan about their deaths. Fugaku also made sure to inform the Academy and the team Saizo had been placed on about his "death". They were all stunned to hear this, despite the fact they had always badmouthed and treated Saizo with nothing but disrespect.

The news about their deaths also spread to the other clans of the Leaf, and clan heads such as Inoichi Yamanaka, Shibi Aburame and even Hiashi Hyuuga offered to attend their funeral as guests of honor. They also felt like paying respect to the two, out of a kind gesture towards the Uchihas. But Fugaku politely declined, saying that this was a personal matter of the Uchihas and only they needed to mourn the deaths alone, especially since Akihime was his sister-in-law.

The death of their cousin and aunt affected Itachi and Sasuke greatly. The two boys, who still remembered the promise they had made with Saizo when they drank their cups, mourned him deeply. It was especially hard for young Sasuke, who had sometimes viewed Saizo as a second brother. But still, thanks to Itachi's encouragement, the two brothers managed to move and vowed to fulfill the promise they made. In fact, Saizo's death had helped in strengthening the brotherly bond between Itachi and Sasuke and it would last until the Uchiha Clan Massacre. However, that brotherly bond would return sometime during the Fourth Shinobi World War

However, while all these horrible had taken place, the present and grown-up Sasuke had thanks to due ritual of Kukurihime and her wisps, been able to witness how everything happened in Saizo's life. As he had done that, a feeling suddenly built within him. It was the same feeling that had appeared when Sasuke had found out about Itachi really being a martyr in the shinobi world. Now, the truth was coming back to haunt him.

Standing alone in the darkness, Sasuke began reflecting on everything that had happened to his cousin. "Saizo….Saizo….." Sasuke spoke up, realizing that for the first time, he knew more of Saizo than what he used to as a child. "Those coffins…...where empty…those coffins…where empty" Sasuke kept repeating over what he had experienced during Akihime and Saizo's "funeral". He now realized how everything his parents had told them, had been noting but lies.

Tears began streaming from Sasuke's eyes, especially since he now realized the tragic life he had really experienced with bullying and being targeted for his frail body. But worst of all, Saizo had been right, all along. The one who had killed him and Akihime, was indeed Fugaku. Saizo had died only because he was considered a weakling and unfit to be a shinobi. So many conflicting emotions was plaguing Sasuke's mind. But they had one thing in common. They were all painful for him to bear.

He tried to close his eyes, but Sasuke couldn't let go of what he had seen. He recalled what he had seen through Saizo's eyes. The bullying, the abuse, the pain, the agony, the loneliness, the resentment and even the death. Sasuke could never let go of what had been the cause of his cousin's death.

"No…...no…..Saizo…Aunt Akihime…..how…why…" Sasuke struggled in containing himself as he kept being witness to everything his cousin had endured in his life. "AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" Sasuke screamed in pain, realizing how this was a real nightmare for him. But not only was he screaming in pain. Sasuke was also screaming in sadness. Once again, he felt like someone had been toying with his life.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: This was chapter 23. As stated, I wanted this to also focus on Saizo's backstory, especially how he and his mother died. I was inspired by Jason Todd's death in the Batman comics, as he is killed by the Joker. Quite traumatizing for a Naruto fanfic, I must admit. And the bond shared between Itachi, Saizo and Sasuke is similar to the one shared between Ace, Sabo and Luffy in One Piece, albeit with some differences. But I always felt like Fugaku was sort of left out in the story. We never once got to see how his ghost spoke with Sasuke. Anyway, the next chapter will shift the focus back to Hinata and the rescue attempt. Also, I would like to tell you more about how Saizo "survived", but that will have to wait. Toneri will also be touched upon in the next chapter, considering how the wedding is almost here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this story. I really appreciate the readers.**


	24. Blessings of the Moon

**Author's note: This chapter will take focus famous wedding ceremony between Toneri and Hinata, as well as the first phase of the rescue attempt. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Blessings of the Moon**

 _Inside Toneri Otsutsuki's castle, the Moon_

Hinata was sitting on her bed inside her room in Toneri's castle. It had been a while since she had heard from him. But from what she could tell by looking outside the windows, Toneri was up to something. She had witnessed him taking along some puppets on a ride through the skies. It was as if they were planning on attacking somebody. The bluenette wondered whether her friends had actually arrived on the Moon. All this only made it clear that she needed to know.

As a matter of fact, Hinata had used her Byakugan to look past the thick clouds in the atmosphere. To her astonishment, she had discovered not just Toneri's Chakra, but also those of Naruto, Kiba, Shino and any others. This surprised the bluenette. On the other hand, she also felt worried about whether Toneri had gone off to eliminate them. But would he succeed in taking care of them, one by one? It was impossible to tell.

"Is it true that you are all here on the Moon?" she wondered as she looked outside.

The evening had arrived, yet Hinata remained awake. She had taken notice of some flying puppets returning to the castle. This only confirmed about Toneri having done something outside his sphere of territory.

When she heard some steps coming from the hallway outside the room, Hinata immediately recognized it was Toneri's nearing her room. From what she could tell, it was as if he was storming past the puppet guards, even shoving them aside. The minute she heard the door being opened, Hinata got off her bed and got ready to greet Toneri.

"What will he do now? I just hope it has nothing to do with either my friends or my family" she silently prayed while watching the door open.

In came Toneri along with a couple of puppet guards. So far, suspicious eyes and a deep frown could be seen on Toneri's face, and it slightly worried Hinata. Had he come for her? Was he planning on doing something to her family? Nevertheless, she decided to greet the white-haired man with formality in her voice.

"Lord Toneri. To what do I owe this visit?" Hinata spoke up, trying not to earn suspicions from Toneri.

"Hinata. I need you to be truthful with me right now" Toneri said nonchalantly, his frown still standing. "You have not been plotting anything against me while I have been away, have you?" the white-haired man suddenly questioned the bluenette.

Hinata felt a shock throughout her body as he asked that. Was he growing suspicious of her? Either way, Hinata knew that she would have to play this game of fake loyalty, even though it pained her to do such things. She did not wish to incur his wrath.

"Of course not, my lord. I would never plot against my future husband" Hinata answered before moving closer to Toneri, yet she didn't touch him. "I haven't forgotten the destiny you and I share together. We are to unite the Otsutsuki and Hyuuga clans. Then, we can bring civilization back to the Moon once again. You think I forgot?" the bluenette then tried to play into his desires. To add more into the play, Hinata even held Toneri's hands.

After few seconds of consideration, Toneri's frown immediately changed into a smile. He was satisfied in seeing how devoted Hinata had become in terms of marriage. "Well said, Hinata. I humbly appreciate your commitment to our engagement. Forgive me for being so judgmental on you. I have not been myself because of the amount of stress I have felt in preparations for this wedding" he told her before putting a hand on Hinata's left shoulder. "Which leads me to announce you this: our wedding will commence in about 8 hours from now on" he then revealed to his future bride.

Hinata was stunned to hear what Toneri just said. "8 hours from now on? And why, if I may ask?" she asked him while making sure not to sound rebellious in front of Toneri.

"Indeed. You see, I have chosen this time for a very particular reason, my love. Each year on this very date, the Otsutsuki clan's azure moon symbol will shine brightly for all of us see. It is considered to bring us fortune in the years to come. All the more reason to have our wedding under the blessings of the azure moon" Toneri revealed, feeling happier within him. Hinata only stood and watched as how Toneri's smile never faded away. He then looked at her once again. "And of course, since this is our wedding, your fellow Hyuugas will be attending it as well. I assure you, they will be treated with dignity and respect as my own servants do. You are not against that, are you Hinata?" he then told the bluenette.

When Hinata hear this, she paused. The young woman was thinking about her captive clan. She also thought about her father and younger sister. Both had their eyes taken away by Toneri. And now, he was willing to let them attend this so-called wedding? As much as she wanted to physically slap Toneri in the face, she restrained herself. Instead, she smiled to show her happiness about the revelations.

"You will let my clan attend the wedding? Including my father and sister? Fantastic!" Hinata expressed her relief, yet she needed to make sure Toneri would actually treat them fairly. "Believe me, they will be more than honored to witness our union blossom. As a matter of fact, my father will gladly accept you as his son-in-law. But you have to promise me to treat him and the other Hyuugas with the respect they deserve" she then pointed out.

Toneri furrowed his brows in seeing this. "Is that so?" he asked her, yet quickly mused to himself after a couple of seconds. "I am humbled. The more I hear you say things like this, then the more hopeful I get for this wedding. It will be a great celebration to all of us. And nobody will interfere, not even those pesky humans from the Earth" Toneri then said while feeling confident.

While Hinata wanted to ask Toneri about those pesky humans, she couldn't risk earning any suspicious from him. Instead, she decided to change the subject. "What kind of clothes should I wear for the ceremony? I have only these clothes" Hinata asked him while looking at her blouse.

"No need to worry, Hinata. I have a perfect wedding dress made just for you. It is a traditional ceremonial outfit worn by brides of the Otsutsuki clan. Surely you won't mind wearing it. After all, you are to be married into my clan after" Toneri told her, saying it like it was no big deal.

Hinata shook her head. "No, not at all. I appreciate your generosity" she told him, even though the pain of being married to someone who had attacked her friends and family affected her dearly. "Since we are to become married, I must ask you this. Is my family being treated fairly inside their quarters?" she respectfully asked him.

The bluenette hoped that Toneri would not resort to degrading her like she did yesterday. To her surprise, he smiled. Hinata couldn't believe her bright eyes. "Of course, my dearest bride. As my future in-laws, they will be a great asset in helping us restoring life and civilization on the Moon. That, I can't wait to see" the white-haired man informed Hinata.

"Glad to hear it. I was beginning to miss their company. I really look forward to this wedding ceremony" Hinata said, once again trying to mask her lies.

Toneri couldn't read her lies. He believed in everything she said. "Yes. I will cherish every moment of it, as you will" he said before putting his hand on Hinata's shoulder once again. "Now then, it's getting late. If we are to start this ceremony earlier, then we both need some sleep. Therefore, it would be best if you went to sleep, Hinata. I am also planning on doing it. Until tomorrow, good night, my lovely wife" those were the last words Toneri said to his future bride before exiting the room with his guards.

Once again, the door was locked, and Hinata was trapped like a rat. However, the Hyuuga-heiress had a passionate fire burning within him. Unbeknownst to Toneri, Hinata had secretly been planning to undo Toneri's goals, yet she needed time. The wedding, she believed, was the perfect opportunity to start it. She would then do what Hamura had advised her, destroying the Tenseigan. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. With Naruto, Kiba and the others on the Moon, they were bound to launch an attack on Toneri's castle now that he had launched an assault on them. Hinata would have to act tactically in carrying out this plan of hers. But she had to. Who else was gonna try and slow down the Moon's descend towards the Earth? It would be her.

"I don't care about what you say. I will choose who I end up with as my husband, not you! That is what a woman's love is all about. You can't force love onto someone" Hinata kept those words to herself by not speaking them out of her mouth. "While I always suspected that my father was one of the coldest men in my life, I was wrong. You're much worse than father. Once my family has been placed on a safe location…I will make you pay for what you have done to them!" the Hyuuga-heiress added to her thoughts.

Outside in the hallway, Toneri kept walking until he reached his living room. He was feeling satisfied. Everything was going according to the plan. Now that his future bride was dedicated to the marriage, victory was on his side. However, he would have to watch out for the Moon Expedition and its newfound reinforcements.

"No one can stop me now…...NO ONE…." Toneri was feeling all high and mighty, until he froze in his steps. Once again, something invaded his thoughts. "No…...not again…AAAARRRRRGHHHHHHH!" the white-haired man roared as he held onto his head.

A deep voice could be heard speaking to him once again, only this time, it was angrier than it was sarcastic. "Foolish imbecile! Do you think you can avoid me!?" it spoke up to his mind. "Those little things who dwell on the Moon, they still exist outside your grasp!" it added.

Toneri managed to get hold of his senses. "What are you talking about…the wisps are under my dominion!" the white-haired man said, still feeling the pain inside his head.

"Wrong! You may have captured all the lesser wisps, but their wretched queen is still out there!" the voice spoke up, still angry as before. "Yes, that loathsome Kukurihime…you have yet to capture her! Do it before she becomes a threat to your plans!" it then demanded Toneri.

Instead of submitting willingly, Toneri used his Chakra to free himself from these invading thoughts. He was not willing to let someone dictate his life. "No! You have no power over me! I decide what is right! This is will be my greatest hour! And you will stay out of my mind!" the azure-eyed man said, his glowing Chakra still covering him. But it soon disappeared thanks to Toneri's command. "Now as for Kukurihime, she will be of no threat to me. Neither will these invaders. Once the wedding ceremony is complete, Hinata will be mine and mine forever! Such is the will of my ancestors!" he declared, thus signalizing his confidence in proceeding with the ceremony.

* * *

 _In an abandoned town on the mountains, the Moon_

Kiba, who had been knocked into unconsciousness thanks to an attack from Toneri, slowly started to open his eyes. From what he could tell, he was lying on something. Judging by the feeling, it was a sleeping back. That turned out to be the case, as Kiba realized he was lying on a sleeping bag. The brown-haired man quickly woke up and wondered where he was, given that he couldn't remember his fight with Toneri.

"Where am I?" Kiba asked, yet he stopped as he was met with intense licking from his dog partner Akamaru. While surprised, Kiba warmly received it. "Hey Akamaru! I didn't see ya! How are you doing, buddy?" he said while lovingly stroking Akamaru's white fur. In return, the dog continued to express his relief in Kiba being awake.

"You've been unconscious for many hours" Kiba's attention suddenly directed towards Shino, his reserved teammate standing against the wall across him. So far, Shino was frowning at Kiba, something the young Inuzuka didn't take kindly to.

"Shino…you're here…..." Kiba spoke with slight animosity towards his teammate. "Why the sour look?" he then asked him.

Shino's frown didn't vanish. "Is this how you show gratitude to someone who has been watching you and Akamaru? Unbelievable. You just can't comprehend what appreciation means" he remarked.

Kiba scratched his brown hair. "Relax, mama. I was only being sarcastic" he assured Shino with a slight grin formed beneath his teeth.

Shino folded his arms in return. "Well, Kiba. Your concept of sarcasm eludes me. It would be better if you gave it some rest and started focusing on the fact that you're alive instead of dead" he sternly pointed out towards his friend.

Hearing this made Kiba remember about what happened. He had jumped on a puppet bird and attempted to attack Toneri from the air. However, Kiba was easily swatted away by Toneri, and was so close in falling through a deep hole. At this rate, Kiba thought he and Akamaru were done for.

A slightly shameful look crept upon Kiba's face. "Right. I take back what I've said to you, Shino" the Inuzuka told him before wanting to change the subject as he looked around in the abandoned house they were in, as well as the strange view from outside the opened windows. More importantly, Kiba could feel himself shive in the cold. This forced him to creep into the sleeping bag, hoping to warm himself. "Damn, it's cold here! Where the heck are we? This doesn't look like the town we stumbled upon the other day" Kiba asked while feeling his teeth chatter a little.

"After you were rescued from falling through the hole in the ground Toneri made for you, we were met by the combined forces of the Triple Entente. Apparently, they had also found their way to the Moon, but through a different portal than the one we used, of course" Shino began explaining everything for his friend. "In order for us to regroup and come up with a plan, the Triple Entente took us to this abandoned town on the mountains. Here, we are safe" he continued.

Kiba had to gasp in hearing what was being mentioned. "The Triple Entente, you mean the combined forces of the Shadow Squad, the Grim Guard and…" Kiba was interrupted by Shino speaking to him.

"Yes, that group. Luck has smiled upon the Moon Expedition" Shino answered.

"Alright. Sounds great and all, but who treated me and Akamaru's injuries?" Kiba quizzed his teammate.

"Sakura, Ino and the woman from the Divine Division named Karin helped heal your wounds while Raido, Aoshi and Genma were watching over you. I walked in here and offered to look after you while they would go and assist Naruto and the others in planning the assault" the Aburame answered him as honest as he possibly could.

"Hold on, an assault? You're telling me we're planning on attacking the place where that Toneri-bastard lives?" Kiba asked, to which Shino replied with a nod. Anger slowly started to get hold on the young man, and Shino could see this by watching how his feral teeth gritted. "That son of a bitch. I almost had him by my…" he lamented to himself over not being able to land a punch at Toneri when he had the chance.

"Don't lament over something as foolish as that. Isn't your survival more important than your ego?" Shino questioned his teammate, starting to get more serious than usual. "What you did back there was reckless and indecisive. You ought to consider yourself lucky to have been saved by Sai and Asami instead of falling through that hole" he then reminded Kiba.

As much as Kiba wanted to open his mouth in order to retort back, he didn't feel like it was necessary. Besides, he had awoken from being unconscious. As such, he saw no merit in continuing acting so sanctimonious towards Shino. Sighing deeply, the young Inuzuka faced his lap. "Alright. I'm sorry for treating you and the others like a dick lately. But I just wanna save the woman I love…" Kiba spoke up, having a hint of sadness in his voice.

As much as he didn't want to believe it, Shino knew the truth coming out of Kiba's mouth. It was astonishing. But then again, he also felt the same way about being concerned of Hinata's wellbeing. They were her teammates. Shino had a feeling that this rescue mission of Hinata would help cement the friendship between him and Kiba. He also wondered whether Kiba thought the same about him as well. Even so, Shino decided to say something he would've done if he was in Kiba's place.

"I understand your rage. Truth be told, I would've probably acted in the same manner as yours if Umeko had been captured. But this time, it's about Hinata. And believe me, we will find a way to get her back, Kiba. That I promise you" Shino spoke up, even smiling at his robust teammate. "However, we can't rely on brute force and wishful thinking in order to rescue Hinata. Yes, for that we need a structured plan" he added.

Kiba nodded his head weakly in return. "I guess you're right. Can't argue with that logic" the young Inuzuka noted, his mind still thinking about Hinata and whatever place she was being held captive.

"I promised both Kurenai-sensei and Umeko that we would all make it back to Earth in one piece. And as a student and a husband, I intend on keeping that promise" Shino reminded Kiba, the usually reserved man reminding his teammate about how serious he was in saving Hinata.

Hearing this made the brown-haired man smile. "Yeah! I fully agree with ya! We will make it back alive. As a matter of fact, I will go through with any plan in order to save the one I love. And I ain't leaving this place until Hinata's with me, right Akamaru?" Kiba said while patting his partner's head. Akamaru simply barked in agreement, the dog fully supportive in rescuing their friend.

While Kiba and Shino were having this talk amongst themselves, Naruto and some of the other friends had rushed over to the place where Sasuke had underwent the ritual of the wisps. They could see the Uchiha facing the ground, tears wetting as he sobbed. It had been a long time since any of them had ever seen Sasuke like this. But then again, they couldn't blame him. He had just learned a dark secret involving his close relatives.

"Sasuke…" Naruto thought while seeing how emotionally damaged his longtime friend had become since hearing the truth about his cousin.

"How…" Sasuke sobbed lowly as the wisps and their queen Kukurihime floated near him. "How could the Uchihas do that to Saizo…" he added, his voice still distraught over the matter.

"The truth hurt sometimes, Sasuke Uchiha. As such, it is difficult to accept it in the history" Kukurihime spoke up, her voice soothing the raven-haired man. "However, it happened as it did. It was his fate. But how Saizo managed to come back to life is still a mystery to us. Regardless, this man has survived death itself. What his real goals are, is yet to be revealed" she added to her analysis.

"Don't you say that…" Sasuke lowly spoke up, his voice carrying a hint of anger and bitterness. He lifted his head up to face Kukurihime and her wisps. "SAIZO'S FATE WAS NEVER TO DIE BY MY FATHER'S HANDS! HIS FATE WAS TO GROW UP TO BECOME A LIVING EXAMPLE TO OTHER SHINOBIS! WE MADE THAT PROMISE TOGETHER!" Sasuke snapped, his teary, black eyes slowly morphing into the Sharingan.

His close friends had taken noticed of this. "Woah, now he's triggered" Suigetsu whispered to those beside him, only to be nudged in his stomach by Karin. "Ow, what gives?" he asked her, but Karin was ignoring him.

The four-eyed woman was rather concentrated on Sasuke and his sudden angry outburst. "Sasuke…" she expressed her worries towards the man she once had a crush on.

"Sasuke, don't raise your voice at her! Kukurihime is only trying to…." Sakura rebuked him, yet Sasuke was not listening to her at all.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, SAKURA!" Sasuke yelled at her before facing the wisps once again. "SAIZO WAS NEVER A DAMN FAILURE! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" he continued this verbal assault towards the wisps, although he was specifically targeting Kukurihime.

The Mother Wisp continued to gaze at the angry Uchiha. "Calm yourself, mortal. Do not speak as if we are the ones responsible for you cousin's death. It was your father" she told him, yet she was not finished speaking just yet. "But even though he and majority of the Uchihas were involved in this, there are few who managed to cherish him as a great son, nephew, cousin and clanmate. More importantly, they had no involvement in his death. They include you, your brother, Shisui Uchiha and few others. Never forget that, Sasuke" she reminded Sasuke about the good memories.

When hearing these words, Sasuke's mind started drifting back to the past once again. He completely forgot the Uchiha Clan Massacre and rather thought back to the day he, Itachi and Saizo played in the woods and drank the cups of oath. But that was not the only cherished memory Sasuke could think about. He remembered other ones who would bring the usually reserved Uchiha to tears. He never knew what a happy childhood he actually had with his older brother and cousin. But to him, it happened in a different lifetime. Those days were gone now. Sasuke was about to say something, only to be interrupted by a voice coming beside him.

"Kukurihime's right, Sasuke" the voice came from Naruto as he stood beside his best friend. Despite this, Sasuke paid no attention to him, his mind still focused on the past. "Instead of remembering all the faults, try to remember all the happy days you had with your cousin. I know it's strange to see him as your enemy. But deep down, you know he's just misguided, you know" he assured his friend, a slight smile taking shape.

Sasuke did not what to say in return. However, he could not bring himself to lash out at Naruto. The raven-haired man felt that right now, it was time for his friends to focus on the looming threat of Toneri instead of Saizo. The young Uchiha rose up and faced Naruto and his friends with a slight determined expression.

"While I appreciate your words, it's not time for me to reflect on it. Right now, we have a much bigger threat to deal with. The fate of the world rests on our shoulders. We must stop Toneri Otsutsuki. Therefore, I am willing to put aside my fixations on my cousin for now" Sasuke told Naruto, his longtime friend immediately stunned by seeing this side of Sasuke.

Nevertheless, Naruto grinned cheekily at his best friend in return. "That's more like it! You really have matured in the couple of years, Sasuke" he remarked.

Sasuke still had a frown on his mouth, yet it didn't mean he was displeased with what he heard Naruto say. "Imprisonment does that to you" he said with sarcasm in his voice.

"Yeah, but what Naruto just told you wasn't sarcastic nor said to make you feel better. He was being for real and I can attest to that" Sakura assured him with a gentle smile.

Hearing this forced Sasuke to form a weak smile. "You're right, I take it back. And sorry about my outburst earlier, Sakura" Sasuke said, apologizing to Sakura in the earnest.

"Apology accepted" Sakura replied sweetly, which stunned Sasuke. He had rather expected her to throw a tantrum and scold him for saying such after what he had done. But then again, this was perhaps due to Sakura having matured into a woman.

Kukurihime and her fellow wisps gathered around Naruto and his friends. It was now time for beginning to plan Hinata's rescue. More shinobis, especially the ones leading the Moon Expedition had gathered around to discuss their next move. But thanks to Kukurihime, they were now given a new perspective of the Moon and how it was functioning.

"You're saying what?" Shikamaru quizzed the wisps. "You mean to tell us that Toneri has his place up in the sun?" he added.

"Indeed. The sphere of Chakra that floats above us acts as a sun. This is all thanks to the Tenseigan, the Otsutsuki clan's most sacred relic" the Wisp Queen informed her newfound friends.

"Well, it makes more sense now" Naruto noted before looking upwards. "No wonder why those cronies flew up to the skies" he added.

Sai nodded his head while looking at him. "I had some tiny ink eagles following them to their territory. From what they told me, the puppet bird used something to enter the barrier. I couldn't quite grasp what it was but I…." the pale-skinned man was interrupted by the voice of the Wisp Queen.

"The key to enter this barrier is by using us wisps" Kukurihime revealed, much to everyone's shock. "Indeed, we wisps do indeed carry extraordinary powers. And now, my enslaved kin are being used as keys to enter Toneri's castle" she added to her explanation.

"That's horrible!" Ino expressed her outrage over what she was hearing. "How can they do this to you!?" the blondie asked.

"Do not fret, mortal. In time, these wisps will be saved. And we will do anything in our power to see you succeed in stopping Toneri's madness. Therefore, my people and I will gladly assist you with passing through the barrier" Kukurihime revealed to her allies.

The shinobis were astonished by her suggestion. "Whoa, easy there, buster. You sure you're okay with this?" Naruto asked her, only to be nudged by Sakura. Naruto snapped. "I mean, Your Highness! Yes, Your Highness!" he clarified his statement.

Kukurihime had to giggle in seeing how amusing Naruto was. But it soon ended and the Wisp Queen was now being willing to tell them why she was open to it. "Yes. We will happily let you use us to pass through the barrier. For too long, Toneri and his ancestors has escaped punishment for enslaving my kind. Now, it is time we take action. Therefore, we will assist you in bringing down Toneri once and for all" she went on to assure them how they were supportive in assisting Naruto and his friends.

Naruto and the other leading shinobis smiled in seeing how determined Kukurihime and her people were in saving her kin. There was no question about that. "Very well. Then you're more than happy to join us. And thanks, by the way. We all appreciate your assistance, you know" the blonde-haired man informed her.

Sai walked over and looked at the Wisp Queen. "Then that means when we all fly towards the barrier with my ink eagles, we will let you do the honor by letting us pass the barrier. I must humbly thank you for doing this, Your Majesty" the pale-skinned man thanked Kukurihime, who seemed more than pleased with his words.

"Alright, so we now know how to enter the barrier without any problems" Shikamaru concluded that part of the discussion and decided to move on to the next phase. "But remember, there is more at stake here. We need to find a way to prevent the Moon from crashing our world" the head of the Nara clan added to the discussion.

"Your Majesty, do you know how to stop the Moon's movements?" Tenten asked the Mother Wisp, addressing her formally.

"If you want to stop the Moon's fast movement towards your world, you will have to destroy the Tenseigan. However, even if you do that, Toneri still has the ability to control it" Kukurihime informed Tenten while the others listened to her answer.

"So in other words, destroying the Tenseigan doesn't necessarily stop the Moon's movements, but it slows it down" Sakura started to get the picture of Kukurihime's explanation. "I see. If that's not enough, then at least it will buy us some time to figure out a way to stop the Moon" the pinkette added.

"Then we all know what must be done" Asami told everyone.

"What do you mean by that?" Yutaka asked her. "Are you suggesting that there is another way of stopping the Moon completely?" the Sand kunoichi asked her once again.

"There IS a way, Yutaka" Hyozan informed her and she and the other members of the Grim Guard listened closely. "I take it all of you have started to grasp the picture as well" he went on to ask the other shinobis from the Leaf, Sand and Mist.

"Yeah. If we are to stop the Moon from moving, we have to defeat Toneri. It's the only option we have" Lee said to his friends, before specifically facing Naruto. "We all know how powerful Toneri really is. That's why we should attack him simultaneously" he suggested to his comrades.

"Attacking him simultaneously? It may not be the brightest strategy but it's a start" Chouji spoke up.

"It may be the best option. But we must expect tough resistance from Toneri and his army of puppets. He has an army on both ground and in the air" Yamato remarked, having known about the number of puppets the white-haired man commanded. If only there was a way we could reduce their numbers" he added to his analysis.

"There is" everyone turned their attentions to Kukurihime, the Wisp Queen once again being willing to tell them more details. "I almost forgot mentioning this. In destroying the Tenseigan, you also deprive the puppets an important power source. You see, the Tenseigan is also the one empowering Toneri's servants" she revealed to him.

"Is that so?" Yamato wondered, feeling amazed by how something like that could empower the puppets. "Then in that case, destroying this Tenseigan should also be our top priority along with rescuing Hinata and her family" the brown-haired man added to his statement.

Everyone agreed with that sentiment. However, they looked at the time on the Armageddon Countdown Clock and realized how important it was to strike Toneri's castle. They didn't have much time left. Another reason for acting now was because of the dawn arriving on the Moon. Looking at the horizon, the allied shinobis knew it was time. But first, they would have to divide into different groups.

"Okay. Now it's the time to divide ourselves into groups. And I think I know how to proceed with this" Naruto said as he glanced around at his comrades. "The group that will intercept this so-called wedding will consist of me, Shikamaru, Sakura, Shino and Kiba. We'll get Hinata back to and far from Toneri's clutches We'll also be the ones to get the captured Hyuugas to safety" the blonde-haired man informed those names he was calling.

"Sounds like a good plan, Naruto. But who will help us taking care of the guards in the surrounding hallways?" Sakura asked her.

Lee suddenly stepped forward alongside Tenten. "Don't worry. We'll handle that. Me, Tenten, Chouji, Genma, Raido and Aoshi, we can take them all" the shinobi dressed in green said while reaching around Tenten to hold her right shoulder. The brunette felt stunned as she heard that.

Freeing herself from Lee, she faced him seriously. "Are you serious, Lee? We're dealing with an entire army of puppets! How do you expect that job to be that easy?" she questioned her boyfriend.

Lee only chuckled to himself in hearing Tenten's protest. "Easy there, sweetie. Who said I was gonna take them all out by myself? I mean, with your talented weaponry, along with Chouji's brawns, we can handle them together, wouldn't you say?" he pointed out to Tenten.

Chouji had to grin cheekily when he heard this. "Sure! I'm up for kicking some puppet butt! No way I'm gonna sit this one out" the chubby man expressed enthusiasm in doing this.

Tenten nervously smiled at her boyfriend. "You're such a doofus, Lee" Tenten told him before embracing him in a tight hug. "A big, lovable doofus" she added.

"You're welcome" Lee said while returning the hug, realizing how Tenten was complimenting him

Asami and Sai stepped forward. "So we now have that covered. But we could need a group of flyers who are responsible for attacking the castle from above. I think that's a perfect job for us in the Shadow Squad" Asami informed everyone before facing some if its members. "Therefore, I will have Sai, Ino, Yamato, Tokuma, Ensui, Tatsuma, Shito and Sasuke join me as air support. And let's not forget about the flying puppets Toneri can call to his side. Someone needs to deal with them, which we'll be more than happy to" the teal-haired woman went on explaining what her group would do.

"Hey, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. It would prove beneficial in interrupting the marriage" Yamato noted as he listened to Asami's suggestion.

"Alright, but that leaves just to the members of the Grim Guard and the Divine Division. Do you guys have anything you would like to do while we're up there?" Shikamaru asked both Yutaka and Hyozan.

The two seconds-in-command faced each other briefly before facing the commanding figures of the Shadow Squad and Moon Expedition. "Well, I guess we could assist you guys in clearing out the castle for all invaders. Heck, we could also assist you in bringing the Hyuugas to safety. They're many and let's not forget about what you've told us about the clan head and his youngest daughter" Yutaka suggested while smiling gently at the Leaf ninjas.

"She does have a point" Hyozan said while holding onto his scythe-like sword. "Besides, I highly doubt that the puppets are the only arsenal Toneri has in his possession. Yes, there must be something more. Perhaps we can also be of help to you guys with regards to that" the Mist ninja went on explaining what they could be of great use to.

"And we have yet to see what really happens once this Tenseigan is destroyed" Juugo informed everyone as she faced Kukurihime. "Your Majesty, if I may, I would like to ask you this. What will happen to the entire Moon once the Tenseigan is destroyed?" the orange-haired man kindheartedly asked the Mother Wisp.

She seemed more than willing to answer everyone, given how important details it involved. "If what the legends say is true, then it would decimate the entire environment on this place. All the flora, water and light in this area will vanish, leaving everything naked as the majority of the Moon is. Do not forget, where we find ourselves now is merely a small piece of the Moon itself. How big it really is, is yet to be estimated. Not even the Otsutsukis who settled on the Moon bothered to find out and neither did we" the Wisp Queen informed her allies.

There were some gasps that erupted out of the shinobis and Kukurihime and her fellow wisps couldn't blame them from feeling this way. "But will it affect you wisps as well?" Naruto asked her.

"Not at all, Naruto Uzumaki. We are immortal. Our essences keep us safe the lack of gravity that really exists on the Moon" Kukurihime told him. "But rest assured you all know the true reason why Toneri must be stopped. If he really succeeds in crashing the Moon against the Earth…it will destroy them both…...just as that "thing" wants. Everything will vanish into oblivion. You cannot allow that to happen" the Mother Wisp was wise in telling them the gravity of the situation.

Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru and all the other shinobis knew how serious this was. There was no time to waste. "Alright everyone! We all know what must be done. Together with Kukurihime and her people, we will storm Toneri's castle and crash his wedding. Then, we will save the Hyuugas and destroy the Tenseigan. And if that's not enough to stop the Moon's movements…" Naruto spoke up before cracking his knuckles. "Then we go for the spoiled prince himself. Toneri will pay for his crimes, one way or another! We are all in this together, aren't we!?" he then asked out loud to the crowd.

"TOGETHER!" the crowd of shinobis said in unison, their passions burning within them.

Naruto smiled at seeing the enthusiasm. He knew that the time to rescue Hinata and save the world, was now.

* * *

 _Next day, inside Toneri's castle, the Moon_

It was quite early, yet Hinata was not tired at all. She got up and was taken to the nearest bathroom by some puppet suitors. As she washed herself, the stunning bluenette saw the gravity of the situation. Today was the day! She would have to make her move in order to support her friends. No longer would she play this game of appeasement.

When she was done cleaning, Hinata was taken to the wardrobe by the suitors and put on this ceremonial outfit for the wedding. It didn't take long, as the puppets were putting the outfit on her quickly. With that finished, Hinata was given the opportunity to look at herself in a mirror. The Hyuuga-heiress couldn't believe her eyes. She had never worn this kind of attire before in her life.

Hinata was wearing a wide black and grey top with a grey sash around her waist. Beneath her marriage ceremonial attire were short puffy pants with black lace socks and sandals. She also wore a black turban with a black and light-yellow veil over and yellow crescent moon earrings. In other words, she looked stunning. Hinata could tell that this type of attire was different from those worn on Earth.

Sighing to herself, Hinata secretly dreaded over this day. "This is embarrassing…...but I will make a difference in my life! That I swear!" she thought to herself.

Hinata could hear someone enter the room and she wondered if it was Toneri. To her surprise, it wasn't. While several puppet guards were nearby, Ko, Hoheto, Natsu and Iroha Hyuuga could all be seen at the room's doorway. They were all surprised to see how stunning Hinata looked in her wedding attire. Yet, they quickly bowed their heads towards her in formality.

"Lady Hinata…...you look wonderful" Ko spoke up, the clansman still showing his devoted loyalty to the clan heiress.

"Ko….as well as Natsu, Iroha and Hoheto…...what are you all doing here?" Hinata asked, surprised to see the Hyuugas standing in the doorway.

Natsu smiled. "Toneri gave us permission to accompany you to the wedding hall. He and the rest of our clan is waiting for you" she revealed to her.

Hinata nodded her head weakly in return. "I see…..." she said before snapping in realization. "Wait, what about my father and sister? Are they in the wedding hall as well?" the bluenette asked them.

"They are" Iroha answered plainly. "And we assure you, they are both alive. However, both Lord Hiashi and Lady Hanabi have lost all morale ever since their eyes had been ripped out. It's like they have accepted the fact that you will become Toneri's bride" the clansman admitted to Hinata.

"We are terribly sorry for allowing you to experience such trauma, Lady Hinata. It was our duty to protect you and your family. We have failed as proud members of the Hyuuga clan" Hoheto spoke up, the bright-eyed man being on the verge of tears.

"Don't you dare say that, Hoheto" Hinata told him, causing the Hyuugas to eye her with surprise. The bluenette was now facing them seriously. "None of you are to blame for what has happened to me…...to us! Please don't carry all this burden on yourselves. You don't deserve it" Hinata went on to tell her fellow Hyuugas about how none of them were guilty

"Lady Hinata…..." Hoheto said lowly, still not being able to grasp what he just heard.

"Your kindness never ceases to amaze us" Ko praised the young woman's gentle nature.

"Excuse my insolence for saying this, but it would be best if you came to the wedding hall this instant, Lady Hinata" Natsu told Hinata, the maid trying to sound as gentle as she could. "The ceremony is about to start and we best not keep Toneri waiting" she added to her suggestion.

Hearing this immediately reminded Hinata about her objectives. "Of course. Sorry for keeping you like this. But before we go, I just wanna tell you all this. Try not to stir up chaos during the ceremony. Behave as formal as you can. Otherwise, there will be consequences for all of us, including you" the bluenette informed the Hyuugas, like any heiress would to her subjects.

Nodding their heads, they all agreed to Hinata's words. "Understood" they said in unison. And thus, they followed Hinata to the hall were the wedding would take place, accompanied by several puppet guards. None of the Hyuugas made any attempt to escape. Such idea was fruitless.

Along the way, Hinata could take notice of how every hallway in the palace was guarded. Puppets were forming lines on both sides, as if they were expecting a royal welcome. This troubled Hinata deeply. How was she supposed to reach the Tenseigan if every room in the castle was guarded like this? Hinata did not yet have the answer, yet she knew she would have to act carefully.

After wandering through hallways, Hinata finally reached the wedding hall. It was completely dark, yet only few candles were lit. Standing in line were puppets dressed in dark robes. Whether they function as priests or monks, Hinata did not know. But she could tell they were part of the security. To her utter surprise, see saw family. Both Hiashi and Hanabi were sitting on chairs, each having their eyes bandaged. But surrounding them and the other important Hyuugas were puppet guards. It would seem that should anything happen, they would be protected, or was there other motives for having these guards near them? From what Hinata could tell, neither Hiashi nor Hanabi were happy about this. They were frowning deeply, and for a good reason. Their eyes had been taken away by the man who suddenly wanted to become their son-in-law and sister-in-law respectively.

"Father…Hanabi…" Hinata expressed her worry about her family's condition.

But Hinata quickly took notice of Toneri standing at the beginning of the hall, yet in a different attire than his usual one. This was a traditional Otsutsuki clan wedding outfit. It consisted of a grey high-collared tunic and baggy grey pants with a black obi and black shinobi sandals. Overall, he wore a long black sleeveless robe and a dark navy-blue sash, which was draped over his right shoulder. Both the tunic and robe were embroidered in gold, with six golden magatama on the tunic's collar and a yellow Otsutsuki Branch Family emblem on the back of the robe. He also wore a matching black turban and a pair of black wristbands. The moment his azure eyes caught a glimpse of Hinata in her wedding outfit, he smiled. Apparently, he was proud of seeing what his future wife looked like.

Hinata walked up him, with Toneri soon reaching out a hand towards her. "Hinata, my how adorable you look in this outfit. It is fit for a princess such as yourself" the azure-eyed man commended Hinata's outfit.

Gently, Hinata took Toneri's hand. "Thank you, Lord Toneri. I could say the same about yours. It is fit for a prince" she told him before looking at the end of the hall, which featured an altar. And above the altar, the crescent moon of the Otsutsuki clan shined brightly upon the spot they would be standing on. "Is this where we will begin the ritual? At the altar?" she asked him.

"It is" Toneri asked while holding Hinata's hand. Side by side, they walked towards the altar. "When we get there, I will pass a bread from my mouth to yours. And do not worry, it is all part of my clan's wedding ritual. The moonlight will shine upon us as we do that. And once we have passed each other the bread, we will conclude this wedding ceremony with a kiss. That is all you need to do in this ceremony before we officially become husband and wife" the white-haired man informed Hinata of the details.

As she listened, Hinata was horrified over this idea. She would have to kiss the same man who had terrorized her family, friends and home. The Hyuuga-heiress dreaded that thought. But she simply couldn't refuse. Her family was at Toneri's mercy, not to mention the guards. Would she have to sacrifice her dignity for this?

"Understood. I will do as you say" Hinata told him, this confirming her dedication towards Toneri.

As they kept walking, Hinata could briefly take a glimpse of her father and sister, remaining seated while being mute. Despite hearing her voice, neither of them had said a word. Perhaps this was due to the immense pressure and torturing experience they were trying to fight. Whatever it was, they were losing it.

Hinata's focus on her family stopped once Toneri let go of her hand. She knew what it meant. The couple were standing before the altar as the moonlight shined upon them. The Hyuuga-heiress felt so butterflies in her stomach, yet she didn't even flinch. Her own nervousness was not even taking hold on her right now. All that she was focused on was this very moment. She had never experienced this type of scenario before.

Toneri lifted up her veil, thus exposing her face for him to see. So far, he was still smiling. The bluenette rewarded him with a nervous smile of her own. But there was more to come. Toneri suddenly held up a piece of bread in his left hand and put it in his mouth. This mean the wedding ritual had started. The azure-eyed man moved his face closer to Hinata's so that the other side of the bread was for her to take. He was passing bread to her. Without hesitation, Hinata opened her mouth and grabbed the piece of bread with it. With that taken care of, Toneri motions for Hinata to pass the bread back to him. Hinata did as he wished and Toneri put the bread away.

With that phase completed, it was now time for the moment Hinata dreaded most: kissing Toneri. Without even taking notice of it, Toneri held up her hands. At the same time, the moonlight shined down brighter upon them. It startled Hinata a bit, yet she remained unmoved. Rather, it was the fact that she was about to kiss a man whom she definitely didn't love. The same man who had kidnapped her and family as if they were possessions. The same man who was determined to end all life on Earth, whether it was humanity or nature. The same man, who clearly had no respect towards women and saw them as only a means to empower his bloodline.

"Well done, Hinata. Only one thing remains before we are husband and wife. Now close your eyes and let me kiss you as your loving husband. Nothing will ever come between us" Toneri said as he was ready to do the unthinkable.

Now, Hinata felt nervous, yet ashamed at the same time. She would now have to forsake her love for Kiba by letting Toneri kiss her in a wedding ceremony. It pained her. But what could she ever do to stop it? By now, she was at an impasse. Hinata closed her bright eyes and prayed that a miracle would happen and turn things around. But miracles were all but fairytales. She knew that fact very well. The bluenette could feel Toneri's breath near her, and it was a horrible experience for her.

But in the second she expected her mouth to be captured by Toneri's, something flew past them both. The bluenette wondered what it was and opened her eyes. To her utter surprise, Toneri's right cheek had a cut and it was bleeding. What in the world was this? Was this even part of the wedding ritual? Once Hinata heard a very familiar voice, that didn't turn out to be the case here.

"HINATA!" the young blunette snapped and looked to her left to see familiar faces standing there. She was stunned. Who could have possibly said that? Standing there were her best friends, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, Naruto and Sakura. From the looks of it, Kiba had thrown the kunai and it had narrowly passed Toneri's cheek. The brown-haired man fixed his feral eyes upon Toneri. "You! Get your filthy mouth away from Hinata this instant! And I'm not asking you twice!" Kiba demanded him.

"Kiba! Naruto! Shino! And even Sakura! W-what are you…." Hinata expressed her utter disbelief in what she was seeing.

Toneri's azure eyes were narrowing with anger in what he saw. "YOU! HOW DID YOU GET PAST THE BARRIER!? NO…HOW ARE YOU EVEN….GUARDS SEIZE THEM!" the white-haired man yelled over to his guards in the hall.

Surprisingly, none of them moved and Toneri wondered why. Looking at the hall's entrance, he could see Shikamaru standing there smugly. It was apparent that he was now using his Shadow Posession Jutsu to control the puppets' movements. As such, they were all standstill.

"Heh, sorry to crash your wedding! But hey, you deserve this!" Shikamaru said smugly.

"Shikamaru…you're here too?" Hinata expressed her surprise in what she was seeing.

Toneri was furious by what he was seeing, but he was more stunned when he could feel explosions happen all around him. "What is the meaning of this intrusion!?" he angrily demanded while facing the group of friends "HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU MANAGE TO ENTER HERE WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT!?" he yelled while demanding an answer to this.

Naruto only huffed in return. "Like we would ever tell you! And besides, we said we were gonna save Hinata and her family as well as stopping you! Well, believe or not, we're finally here!" the blonde-haired man told Toneri.

"Don't your hopes too high yet, humans! Hinata's already mine!" Toneri snapped while briefly glancing over to Hinata, who took a few steps backwards in hearing her name being called. "Besides, who ever said insignificant ants like you would leave this place alive!" he added, this time being more maddened then usual

"They are not doing this alone!" a young female voice could be heard high above in the hall. Looking up, Toneri was outraged over seeing several wisps floating above them all. However, he immediately recognized the one in the middle. "You have gone too far with this misguided campaign of yours, Toneri Otsutsuki. For too long, I have watched as you and your predecessors have enslaved my kind into servitude. Now, we fight back! And you will answer for all the atrocities you have committed!" the Wisp Queen sternly called out to the white-haired man.

"Damn you, Kukurihime…." Toneri uttered out her name bitterly, yet he soon pointed his handpalm at her. Apparently, he was preparing a ball of Chakra to fire towards her. "YOU ALL WILL REGRET RUINING MY GREATEST MOMENT! THAT IS WHY I WILL….." Toneri was about to fire his attack on Kukurihime, only for him to feel a hard attack landing on his left cheek. It was Hinata, the young bluenette finally having the guts to stand up for herself. The white-haired man was sent flying until he crashed against the wall.

With that taken care of, Hinata quickly rushed over to her friends. She was more than overjoyed to see they being here. "You really came here…all of you" the bluenette told everyone, feeling happy to see everyone, especially Kiba being present. "And even you, Kiba…I can't believe you really did!" she told him.

Kiba smiled at her in return. "Of course, Hinata. You think I was gonna let some alien bastard do with you as he pleased? Hell no, nobody takes you away, especially when I'm…..." Kiba was interrupted when Hinata hugged him tightly. It caught him by surprise, yet the impulsive Inuzuka quickly returned the hug. Their friends smiled in seeing the two lovers reunite.

When the hug ended, Shino went over and put a hand on Hinata's left shoulder. "Sorry for the long wait. But we finally managed to arrive here after overcoming so many hardships. However, all of us have been more concerned about you than ourselves" Shino told her teammate with a hint of humor in his voice, something which made several around him laugh.

Naruto smiled at Hinata. "We're glad to see that you're alright, Hinata. All of us would never leave the Moon without you and your family" Naruto told her before facing Toneri sitting unconscious against the wall. "And more importantly, we will save the world, together. Even now, the rest of the gang is doing a good job with the puppets outside" he added.

Being told this, quickly reminded Hinata about something important and she faced Kiba once again. "Kiba, Akamaru. I need your help. Get me to the castle's lower reaches. It is there the Tenseigan is" she suddenly told her teammates.

"The Tenseigan…..so you've seen it?" Sakura asked her to which Hinata nodded firmly. "But you think you alone can destroy it!? That's insane! We gotta destroy it together!" the pinkette was calmed down by a touch on her shoulder by Naruto. He shook his head at her.

"No, Sakura. It's best if we let them do it. Hinata will know what to do" Naruto assured her before he fixed his eyes upon both Hinata and Kiba. "Then you two better head to the Tenseigan and quickly. We're counting on you guys. Don't worry about your family, Hinata. We'll take care of them. And remember Kiba, don't you dare leave her side. Can I trust that responsibility to you?" he told them before specifically facing Kiba with a determined expression.

Kiba responded by giving Naruto a thumb up. "Damn straight. Hinata's my girl! And I ain't leaving her alone ever again!" he assured him before he lifted Hinata up and put him on Akamaru. The bluenette was surprised, yet it amused her at the same time. "There! Akamaru's a strong and crafty one, so he can carry both of us. Now you help him with nagiviting the way, okay?" Kiba told her as he sat right behind her.

Although Hinata was blushing, she easily responded to Kiba's statement. "Of course, I will! Come on Akamaru! Run that way!" she told him and the white-furred dog quickly began sprinting out of the hall.

Sakura was still unsure about all this. "You really think Hinata can do this, Naruto? Is she really that strong?" she asked her boyfriend, who was smiling at seeing his friends run into the hall.

"I've known her better than you, Sakura. And despite everything she has been through, Hinata can mature. Right now, I saw the passion in her eyes. They told me how this Hinata was different from the one she was two years ago. So I wouldn't underestimate her if I were you, Sakura" Naruto told her in a slight serious tone before shifting into a goofy grin. "But hey, you're stronger still! Don't forget that!" he added with a compliment.

Sakura folded her arms in seeing this. "You're such a clownish ass sometimes, Naruto. I like it" the pinkette told him, admitting how she both loved and hated Naruto's goofy antics at the same time.

"Yo! I hate to interrupt your little charade here, but would you start escorting the Hyuugas to safety?" Shikamaru called out to his friends.

"Shikamaru speaks the truth" Shino told them while briefly glancing at the unconscious Toneri sitting against the wall. "While he's out, it would be the perfect opportunity to get them out and far away from him. It's better if we deprive him of any hostages" the Aburame went on explaining the merit of doing that.

"Right. Let's get these guys to safety. Bushy Brows and the others are cleaning out the hallways as we speak" Naruto told his comrades and they began helping the Hyuugas, starting with Hiashi and Hanabi.

Outside the castle, an aerial war was commencing in the surrounding yellow atmosphere. Riding on ink eagles drawn by Sai, the members of the Shadow Squad were dealing with the flying puppets. Having used the wisps to pass through the barrier, the three flyers could easily overcome their foes.

Sai, Asami and Ensui were currently dealing with some of these flyers, trying to avoid the incoming kunai fired from the bird puppets. "There are endless of these flyers! Is there no limit to them?" Ensui asked as he observed.

"Quit worrying about figuring out their limits! It only distracts you from your objectives!" Asami scolded him.

"You heard the boss, Horncrest. Obey her commands" Sai told Ensui with a hint of humor in his voice, causing the teal-haired woman to facepalm in return.

"Well at least I'm not foolish enough to pick Penisshaft as my codename!" Ensui retorted back.

"My God…...this is why I've not addressed any of them by their codenames while being on the Moon so far. It's so embarrassing to hear Sai's!" Asami noted to herself, yet she resumed her concentration on bombing the enemies.

On another bird, Shito, Tatsuma and Tokuma were actually fleeing a squadron of flying puppets, mostly on Shito's commands. "How long are we gonna keep fleeing from them!? It's so damn humiliating, for God's sake!" Tokuma rebuked Shito.

"It's not my fault that we're relying on birds make of ink to take us to the air! And if we get hit, we'll all fall down!" Shito hit back at his bright-eyed comrade.

Tatsuma was not impressed with Shito's conduct. "And people say I'm a disgrace to my clan?" the Aburame wondered, recalling how he was still distrusted by his fellow Aburames due to his membership in Root.

The third ink eagle piloted by Sasuke, Ino and Yamato had taken notice of Shito and his comrades being pursued by the squadron and it surprised them, except for Sasuke, of course.

"Weren't those three supposed to bomb specific targets on the castle?" Yamato asked as he watched them.

"Yeah, but ever since that squadron showed up, they've been trying to lose them. But it's not working so far" Ino answered what she saw.

Sasuke formed a deep frown in seeing this. "Those damn clowns! Have they no dignity left in them!?" he asked as he stood up on his feet, eventually standing on the eagle's head.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Yamato asked the raven-haired man.

Sasuke looked over his shoulder, thus revealing his Mangekiyo Sharingan. "I'm going to help these nitwits with getting their shit together. You two stay on this eagle while I'm gone" he told them and proceeded to jump off the ink eagle without hesitation.

Yamato and Ino looked out to see what he what he was planning on doing. As Sasuke diving in the air, he soon activated his Susanoo. Purple flames enveloped around the young Uchiha and his giant horned figure with wings began to take shape. Even in this sphere, Sasuke was able to fly with Susanoo. It was just surprising to see.

"He can't be serious….." Yamato flatly said as Sasuke flew to attack the incoming puppet flyers.

"He sure knows when to act like a smartass, that's for sure" Ino noted while watching Sasuke.

Meanwhile, Kiba and Hinata were riding Akamaru while bumping into attacking puppets. They were no match for the ferocious dog. With Hinata's guidance, Akamaru found his way to this secret room where it was glowing brightly. Kiba and his dog partner were stunned to see where that light came from. It was the work of the Tenseigan. Once they were close, the pair got off Akamaru and started observing the giant ball of light.

"Woah…..this is the Tenseigan…..damn, it's big" Kiba uttered out lowly while covering his eyes with one of his arms.

Hinata got close to it. "Indeed. If I can manage to destroy it, then Toneri's ability to control these endless amounts of puppets will be reduced" she said before activating her clan's Kekkei Genkai. "Byakugan!" she said.

Now that the two of them were alone, Kiba felt it was the right time to speak to Hinata about his true feelings. "Hinata…...there's something I need to tell you…...regarding me recent conduct as a boyfriend" he told her, to which the bluenette responded by watching him surprised. The young Inuzuka weakly nodded his head as a yes. "I know that we were too early to have sex in our relationship and I could've stopped you…but I didn't. I let myself get carried away because I was deeply attracted to you, Hinata" the brown-haired man informed her.

Hinata gasped as she heard this. "Don't say like it's you fault, Kiba. It was me who completely took our relationship out of context….." the bluenette said before she faced the ground with a somewhat shameful look on her face. "All that I wanted was to feel what it was like to be loved…..to be appreciated…..to be understood…but I completely messed up….." Hinata admitted to herself while recalling their sexual encounter.

Kiba got closer to Hinata, something the bluenette took notice of. "Hinata…...don't put all this burden on your shoulders" the Inuzuka told her while putting his hands on her shoulders. "I too screwed up. Like you…I also wanted to feel desired and be loved by someone…but I had a completely different mindset than what most lovers think" he told her.

Hinata was stunned to hear what her longtime teammate was saying to her. "Kiba…" she uttered out his name while her bright eyes widened in surprise. She was even on the verge of tears yet chose not to let them out for some reason.

"Hinata…..once we've saved the world, both you and I…we'll start this relationship over….but not as a couple of clueless, naïve sex-addicts….but rather as understandable and patient adults" Kiba told her, the young man even forming a slight grin with his teeth. "Doesn't that sound much easier rather than just call it a quits? I'm not giving up on you, ya know….." he admitted to his lover.

The blunette took hold on Kiba's hands and she held them tenderly with her own. Smiling, Hinata expressed her true feelings towards the brown-haired man she loved.

"Thank you, Kiba…thank you in believing in me…..words can't describe how grateful I am to hear this" she told him from the bottom of her heart.

"Everyone makes mistakes. We both have. However, let's learn from these mistakes and start handling things more appropriately and maturely. Are you with me, Hinata?" Kiba asked her, wanting to make sure she was still committed to him.

Hinata firmly nodded her head at him in return. "Absolutely!" she told Kiba before returning her focus on the Tenseigan. The stunning bluenette stood in her Gentle Fist Art stance, gathering powerful and enormous amounts Chakra in her hands. She was determined. "I will use this power Hamura Otsutsuki has bestowed upon me….to destroy this energy vessel!" she declared.

Kiba and Akamaru was stunned on what they were seeing. "Whoa…...Hinata…...you're strong…..." Kiba uttered out, amazed by how powerful his teammate had gotten. Truth be told, he always considered her to be more powerful than him. And not so surprisingly, he didn't envy. To him, it was only great that the woman he loved was strong enough to handle adversaries. "You can do it, Hinata! Destroy this giant piece of crap! Show everyone, your friends, your family, and your enemies, that you're not a weakling! I believe in you, as does Akamaru!" the brown-haired man told her while Akamaru barked in agreement.

Hearing these words only boosted the confidence within the bluenette, and she knew that he spoke the truth. She could destroy the Tenseigan. She had to! She would prove her doubters wrong! "Eight Trigrams Twin Lion Surging Shot!" Hinata said, the Chakra forming into lion-like heads. With enough purple Chakra gathered in her hands, Hinata decided to launch her attack. It was time to show what she was made of. "This is for everyone! Gentle Step Spiraling…TWIN LION FISTS!" she loudly exclaimed and combined the Chakras in her hands into a single attack. With it, she launched it towards the energy vessel.

The moment her attack hit the Tenseigan, a large clang-sound erupted in the room. But after only five seconds, large cracks started to appear on the glowing ball. It took roughly about ten seconds before the ball began to flicker, and ultimately exploded till nothing was left of it. Once it exploded, the Tenseigan disintegrating into countless Byakugan. Kiba and Akamaru stood in awe as Hinata finally demonstrated her prowess as a kunoichi. It was amazing to watch the woman he loved possessing such hidden strength.

"YEAH! YOU DID IT HINATA! YOU'RE THE BEST!" Kiba shouted enthusiastically towards the bluenette while Akamaru wiggled his tail and howled as a means to congratulate her.

With the Chakra gone, Hinata finally turned her attention to Kiba. From the looks of it, the bluenette was surprised to have accomplished something like that. But after few seconds, she gave Kiba the sweetest smile he always enjoyed watching.

"Only because I finally found my strength, silly" Hinata giggled at him in return.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: That was a terrific chapter. As expected, the wedding was interrupted by Naruto and his friends with the help of Kukurihime. I wanted to show Hinata how she could actually mature, let alone destroy the Tenseigan on her own. That is all part of showing her development as a character without feeling shy or reserved about her abilities. The next chapter will continue to focus on the rescue attempt. And Toneri will play a big picture here. What will he do when he realizes what Hinata has done? And will Hinata once again become the usual damsel in distress as always? Not anymore. Next chapter will feature more dramatic narratives, including one that will define the fate of the Earth. And of course, Naruto and Sasuke won't be the only ones to have the spotlight. Everyone will. Stay tuned for more and thank you for reading and following this story!**


	25. Envying You

**Author's note: This chapter will continue with the rescue attempt. Here, we will see a dramatic experience for someone has cocky as Kiba, which brings strong reactions from his friends, not the very least Hinata. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Envying You**

 _Outside Toneri's castle, the Moon_

Hinata Hyuuga had done it! She had succeeded in destroying theTenseigan, the source of energy on the Moon. Now that it was destroyed, it affected the tiny area of fertility that the Otsutsuki clan had created on the Moon. No longer having sunshine, everything that lived, trees, plants, water, and even animals, withered and died. All that remained was the barren craters and canyons that existed. Even the mountains had turned into naked ones, as if they were just a giant pile of rocks. However, the changes didn't affect the atmosphere, as it was still breathable for shinobis and wisps alike. In addition, the abandoned towns and villages across the Moon remained intact. Even so, Hinata had managed to destroy the Otsutsuki clan's most sacred relic and it was changing the Moon as a result. The floating castle, as well as the other floating islands that existed inside the sun, where gradually descending towards the naked landscape on the Moon. This was perhaps also a result of the Tenseigan being destroyed. It had deprived those places of gravity.

And those who took notice of the changes were the members of the Shadow Squad riding on ink eagles created by Sai. For some reason, they could see that even the barrier that separated Toneri's castle from the world below had vanished as well. The skies blackened with stars, and they could no longer see a tint of light in the area, everything was dark. Sasuke, who had activated his Susanoo to combat the enemies, had also taken notice of the changes and stopped attacking the flying puppets, who had gradually become lifeless since the Tenseigan was destroyed.

"What on earth happened just now?" Ino wondered as she observed around the area. "There's no tint of light left…all that I see is the blackness that usually clouds the Moon" the blondie added, still curious about her surroundings.

Yamato, who sat on the same ink eagle as Ino, seemed to have a hypothesis for this. "The fact that even the barrier surrounding this sphere disappeared can only mean one thing. The Tenseigan has been destroyed" he suggested. "And more importantly, there are no more puppet flyers coming at us. This only confirms my suspicions" the brown-haired man added to his hypothesis.

The two were joined by the other flying Shadow Squad members, including Asami Nakano and Sai. Sasuke could be seen floating near their location, given that he was still inside his Susanoo. All of them were now discussing their next move.

"Alright, Shadow Squad. It seems to me that Kukurihime and her wisps were right. The destruction of the Tenseigan has depowered Toneri's puppet army, including the flyers" Asami noted before turning her attention to the floating castle. "That leaves us with only one option" the teal-haired woman noted.

"Yeah! We drop bombs all over that floating piece of dirt! That'll send this Toneri-dude a message he'll never forget!" Shito Akimichi suggested, yet his comrades were unfazed by what he was saying.

"Then let us hope your skills with prove useful more than your attitude this time" Tatsuma Aburame told him, only to earn a death glare by Shito. But the Aburame clansman ignored the chubby man and proceeded to join in the discussion amongst the Shadow Squad.

"However, there is some merit in Shito's suggestion. We can aid the Moon Expedition and the others by bombing important targets. And above all, we must evacuate the Hyuugas to safety. But we must take caution. I fear that the castle has more than puppets to offer" Tokuma Hyuuga suggested.

"Then we should help the Moon Expedition in any way we can" Ensui Nara said, agreeing with what Tokuma was saying.

Sai smiled in hearing this. "Sounds like great idea. But we must careful not to bomb our allies. They're still in the castle evacuating the Hyuugas as we speak" the pale-skinned man reminded everyone.

"Then we all know what to do…" Asami told everyone before facing Sasuke, who was still in his Susanoo. "By the way, your talents have so far proven useful to the Shadow Squad, Sasuke Uchiha. I'm impressed with your dedication to our cause" she told him.

Sasuke didn't respond to this compliment, preferring not to be chatty towards certain people he knew was, in secret, antagonistic towards him. Asami was no different. But on another note, she had a point. Sasuke's skills had been useful to the Shadow Squad.

"Maybe it's time we headed back to the castle and saw how Naruto and the others are coming up" Yamato suggested to his comrades.

"Agreed. They may as well be notified about the changes around here, let alone be given assistance to defeat Toneri" Sai amusingly remarked.

And so, the group of flyers flew upwards to the floating castle, hoping to bring chaos and confusion to Toneri by bombing certain parts of his castle. But at the same time, they were wondering whether this mission would actually be relatively easy. None of them didn't know how this would turn out. The castle was gradually descending towards the ground beneath it, so it wouldn't take long before everything would be reachable on foot.

* * *

 _In a hall inside the castle, the Moon_

Inside the castle's hallways, rumbles were taking place between the shinobis and their puppets. However, with the Tenseigan being destroyed, the puppets were easy to deal with, given that they lacked empowerment. Lee, Chouji, Karin, Suigetsu, Juugo, Genma, Aoshi, Raido, Tenten, Komaza and Nejiri. knew this very well, after their enemies had become nothing but a bunch of charging dolls. They stood and watched the scrap they left in wake of destruction. They were now standing in a hall which seemed to connect every hallway in the castle.

"Tch, these puppets were hardly a challenge" Suigestu expressed his disappointment while kicking away some broken pieces of puppets. "I mean, seriously? I don't know whether to laugh or cry in seeing this" the white-haired man added.

"You could say that, buddy. But in any case, Toneri must be foolish if he thought an army of puppets was gonna stop us" Lee agreed with Suigetsu's sentiment. He also picked up what appeared to be a severed arm belonging to one of these puppets. "Then again, the fact that the puppets have stopped coming towards us can only mean one thing" he remarked as he glanced at Tenten.

The brunette smiled gleefully. "Alright. The Tenseigan's destroyed. That means the others will probably arrive here sooner or later" Tenten expressed her happiness over knowing that a part of their objectives was completed.

"Don't celebrate just yet. We still have to evacuate those Hyuugas. As soon as they arrive here, that is" Juugo reminded everyone.

Out from one of the nearby rooms came the Hyuugas, followed by Naruto and his friends. The allied shinobis made sure that Hiashi and Hanabi were well protected, due to their fact that they were eyeless.

"There's Naruto, Shikamaru and the others! As well as the Hyuugas!" Chouji exclaimed while smiling at his longtime friend arriving in the hall.

"Hey everybody. Missed us?" Naruto humorously asked his comrades before turning his attention to the Hyuugas. "Anyway, we have managed to bring all the Hyuugas here to safety. Protect them as if they were valuables. And make sure Hiashi, Hanabi and the elders are cared for. They've all been through so much trauma" the blonde-haired man declared and everyone followed the orders he gave them.

As they were having this gathering, Hiashi finally had enough strength to speak to Naruto and the leaders of the Moon Expedition. "Naruto…on behalf of my clan, I humbly thank you for this protection….." Hiashi expressed his gratitude before deciding to get more serious. "But where is Hinata?" he asked them.

"She ran off to find the Tenseigan and destroy it. And believe it or not, she actually succeeded!" Naruto answered him with a smile.

As relieved as Hiashi was in hearing this, there was something more that troubled him. "But is she alone!? She can't be! This castle is too dangerous for her to…." the middle-aged man asked them once again, only to be calmed down by Sakura.

"Settle down! Hinata is with Kiba and Akamaru. As long as she's with them, safety is guaranteed" Sakura told him, yet she could see that Hiashi was now trying to find his way around, despite loosing his sight. "Wait! Where are you going? You can't fight without your eyes, Hiashi. And more importantly, you're in no condition to defend yourself against foes!" the pinkette told him.

"It does not matter! Hinata is in grave danger! And with that Inuzuka mutt as her bodyguard, she stands no chance of escaping Toneri!" Hiashi told her, only to be held back by fellow members of the Hyuuga clan.

"Lord Hiashi! Be reasonable!" Ko pleaded to the clan head, yet Hiashi was stubborn as ever. "That man is hopeless" he sighed, not liking the way he was behaving.

Ko was not the only one. "Let it go, my lord. You have to trust Master Naruto and his allies. They will protect Lady Hinata" Natsu pleaded to the middle-aged man, but to no avail.

"No! I must go and save her before Toneri finds out…." Hiashi ended his defiance once he and the others could feel the entire ground shake. It was stunning, and it affected the entire castle.

"What's going on? The entire castle is shaking" Lee asked as he felt the ground shake.

"Is this an earthquake!?" Chouji loudly asked as he could feel the tremor. "Argh! This is defiantly an earthquake!" he started panicking.

His best friend was dumbfounded at that suggestion. "Get real, Chouji! As if something like that could ever….."Shikamaru was first dismissive, yet he paused once he and his friends saw something big on the opened ceiling above them. "Happen…" he finally said the last words.

"What in the world is that thing!?" Sakura asked while pointing her finger up towards the giant thing that had its eyes set on the group of shinobis below it.

It was a golem, yet a very different one. This golem bore close resemblances to that of Hamura Otsutsuki, complete with the horns and six magatama designs carved on its collarbones, resembling the necklace worn by Hamura himself. Several large glowing orbs appeared to be embedded in its back. It also had these primitive arms of stone that seemed quite destructive. But what was noticeable was the fire that dwelled inside it. Yes, it's eyes and mouth were glowing in fiery orange. Something was odd with this statue.

"That thing's huge!" Lee exclaimed in disbelief over what he was seeing.

"Whatever! Just what the hell is it!?" Karin snapped in fear while glancing up at the golem.

"Let me guess: a specialized puppet of Toneri's we failed to notice?" Shikamaru asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"This is no puppet, young shinobis" the voice of Kukurihime could be heard as she and the wisps gathered near their allies. "It is a golem, but not just any golem. It was once a stone monument to Hamura Otsutsuki carved into a rock wall over a shrine somewhere beneath the ground itself. But somehow, it became a living entity" the Mother Wisp told everyone.

"A golem!?" Shino asked, the young Aburame feeling very uneasy about this. "But if it once was a stone monument, how did it become this way? Is this Toneri's doing?" the man with sunglasses asked Kukurihime.

"I am afraid not, Shino Aburame. While it could have been Toneri due to him using the Tenseigan, it is not the case here. And from the look in its eyes and mouth, there can only be one suspect" the wisp noted warily as she observed the dangerous monster preparing to attack them. "Yes, this must be the work of "him"! I just know it. I can feel the twisted energies that has long since laid dormant on the Moon awaken after so many millennia!" the Wisp Queen expressed her fear and concern over this golem.

"Wait! You mean that destroying the Tenseigan has only awakened that golem?" Tenten asked her.

"I doubt that to be true. But regardless, this golem could become a great threat to our plans in saving the Moon and your world. And there is no question in my mind that it is helping Toneri" Kukurihime expressed her worried over the golem.

The golem roared out loudly towards it's foes as it began descending itself upon the hall where the shinobis were standing in. As it used its long arms to reach them, Naruto knew that something had to be done, as such, he activated his Tailed Beast Mode. His friends took notice of this and were surprised by his sudden actions.

"Naruto…what are you…." Sakura asked before Naruto faced her and the others with a determined expression.

"Everyone, get the Hyuugas to safety and far away as you can. I will deal with this monster!" Naruto informed them.

"Have you lost your mind, Naruto!?" Chouji asked him in disbelief.

"Hold on, you think you can handle that thing on your own!?" Shikamaru asked him in a slightly outraged manner.

Naruto only grinned cheekily in return, the bright light of his Chakra only exposing the grin further. "Heh. Who ever said I was gonna take that thing by myself? I'm no longer that kinda person!" he told Shikamaru and proceeded to jump up to the air. He fixed his crimson eyes upon the golem. "Alright, Kurama! Let's do this!" he told the Tailed Beast that lived within him.

He could hear the chuckle coming from the Nine-Tailed Fox itself. "No need to rush here, kiddo! I'm up for a challenge!" he said and he proceeded to showcase himself for everyone to see in the air. With his elastic arms, Kurama proceeded to attack the golem's face, thus shoving him away. But the golem would not easily submit. Roaring, it began charging Naruto, only for an arrow of black flames to hit it. As such, the golem was forced backwards once again. The arrow even succeeded in destroying it's left arm.

Naruto quickly turned around and saw who it was. He grinned. "About time you showed up, Sasuke!" the blonde-haired man remarked.

Sasuke was still in his Susanoo and he was willing to help Naruto in fighting this golem. Despite being up against two powerful beings, the golem wouldn't back down just yet.

"Naruto. What is that abomination?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

"Hell if I know. But whatever that thing is, we can't let it interfere with our plans. So how about we have a friendly competition and see which of us will blow it to bits?" Naruto suddenly challenged Sasuke.

The raven-haired man was far from impressed by Naruto's suggestion, yet he couldn't deny how tempting it sounded. "Don't get too overconfident, Naruto. If you let me, I'll show you how this fight will be over in a minute" he told the blonde-haired man.

Naruto only huffed in a childish manner. "Huh, you can certainly try" he said with a hint of mockery in his voice.

But as they were exchanging these words between one another, they failed to notice that shocking ability the golem possessed. It was actually capable of regenerating his lost limbs. As such, pieces of rock were gathered and used to form his left arm. The two friends couldn't believe in what this thing was capable of.

"What the…...how the hell can something like that regenerate his arm with the help of rocks!?" Naruto cursed in what he saw.

Sasuke remained calm in face of this battle. "Obviously, we're dealing with something extraordinary. I've never seen a golem that can regenerate itself. This might prove challenging" he noted as he watched the golem complete his regenerating.

The golem didn't seem willing to back down from this fight, despite the fact that it was two against one. But could they defeat this gigantic creature? Once the golem started to jump in the air, both Naruto and Sasuke snapped in surprise, not realizing how someone thig heavy could actually do this.

"What!? But how!?" Sasuke wondered to himself.

"I see" Naruto remarked, the young man starting to see the picture. "This is the Moon. The level of gravity here is different than the one back on Earth. It's wonder how something that heavy can jump so high" he added to his analysis.

The giant piece of rock was now willing to attack Naruto and Sasuke. The two friends realized that they couldn't allow the golem to interfere with their mission. Therefore, they would have to get it far away from the palace and into the cragged terrain. It would buy their friends some time to evacuate the defenseless. Therefore, both Naruto and Sasuke launched their attack simultaneously.

"You're not getting near our friends! NOT AS LONG AS WE'RE HERE!" Naruto shouted through Kurama's enormous power of Chakra.

But as they battled the golem, they could surprisingly hear a deep chuckle coming from somewhere. And it was now the golem who spoke. Rather it was an evil entity hidden from human eyes.

"You cannot succeed, mortals. The future has been determined. All that exists for you is nothing but oblivion" the voice called out to the two shinobis.

Sasuke gritted his teeth while hearing this. "Shut up. We won't let you poison our minds further!" the raven-haired man snapped, trying to prevent the voice from influencing him or Naruto.

The golem roared before charging towards Naruto and Sasuke. Despite being against these two powerful shinobis, the golem was more than capable of handling them on his own. The two friends could see that, as they struggled with getting him far away from the castle as they could. It stubbornly resisted them. How that fight would end, was yet to be determined.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, inside the room of the Tenseigan_

What could be found inside this room was nothing but small tints of light sprouted across it. Since destroying the Tenseigan, Hinata had only stood still and reflected on how she had managed to destroy something as impregnatable as this energy vessel. It was simply unbelievable. But then again, Hinata knew how she could've pulled something like that. She was even now speaking to Kiba and Akamaru about it. They were stunned to hear what Hinata had learned.

"So, let me get this straight. You're saying that the twin brother of the Sage of the Six Paths bestowed some of his power onto you?" Kiba asked him bewildered, to which Hinata happily nodded in return. Kiba scratched the back of his neck. "I'm not sure whether I follow you…...but who cares? You freaking destroyed the Tenseigan! Boy am I happy to know someone as strong as you!" the brown-haired man complimented her with his toothy grin.

Hearing this made Hinata's cheeks redden. "Kiba…quit embarrassing me like this! It's impolite" she told him while giggling.

Kiba chuckled to himself in amusement. "Alright. I'll stop" he said. But it was now that Kiba had begun to take notice of her attire and how beautiful Hinata actually looked in it. But was it right for him to say that? This wedding ceremony was nothing but fake, so Hinata would therefore consider it to be hoax. Even so, he decided to ask her about it. "Hey Hinata, what's with the attire? Is this what you wore during the ceremony?" he asked her.

Hinata couldn't help but to snap in embarrassment. "Oh…..yes, it's just what I had to wear during the ceremony. But don't worry, I'll get it off as soon as we're home" the bluenette told him.

"Sounds like a great idea. Speaking of which, how about we scram here? I bet the others are probably wondering where we are. It would be best if we…" while Kiba was coming with a suggestion, he, his dog partner and the bluenette all got cautious once they heard an angry voice coming from behind them.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the voice came from none other than Toneri Otsutsuki. Having just recovered after Hinata's attack, the white-haired man had tracked her whereabouts to this place. However, he was filled with both outrage and disbelief over what he saw. "It can't be…it's not possible…the Tenseigan is…DESTROYED!" he yelled, his azure eyes never leaving sight of the small, white particles that floated around the room.

Kiba, Akamaru and Hinata all stood their guard against him. They were ready to engage with him, given that Naruto and the others were now responsible for evacuating the Hyuugas to safety. Therefore, they would not flee this encounter.

Kiba and Akamaru gritted their feral teeth, yet the brown-haired Inuzuka soon found himself grinning cockily. "You finally got up, huh? Well, too bad for you. Because the party's already over! So, take your whining some place else!" he taunted Toneri.

The azure-eyed man immediately fixed his attention upon Kiba. "You…." Toneri said lowly, yet his voice was filled with venom. "Do you have any idea what you have done!? You damn imbecile! You have destroyed our clan's most sacred relic!" he yelled at Kiba.

Hinata were surprised by hearing this. "What is he talking about? It was me who destroyed it. And more importantly, don't he remember that it was me who knocked him unconscious back in the wedding hall?" she wondered to herself.

Despite seeing the fury in Toneri's eyes, Kiba didn't seem intimidated to say at least. "Hold on just a damn minute! I didn't destroy that giant, golden piece of crap! That honor belongs to dearest Hinata" he said before grinning smugly at his adversary.

Toneri fixed his eyes upon the bluenette, who still stood her guard, ready to defend herself. Surprisingly, he resumed focusing on Kiba after a few seconds. "You're a liar. I don't believe a word! How could you expect someone like Hinata to destroy the Tenseigan? There is no way she could have done that. She is just a woman, nothing more. I find your claim laughable, Inuzuka-mutt!" he replied venomously in return.

Kiba felt his blood boil within him. However, it had nothing to do with the fact Toneri had called him a mutt. Rather, it was the way he spoke about Hinata. It infuriated the young Inuzuka by how this man could think about her this way just because she was a woman. With careful steps, Kiba walked towards Toneri, with Akamaru tagging along.

"Hold on, Kiba. What are you doing?" she asked Kiba while following him and Akamaru.

"Don't you ever talk to Hinata like that, you ungrateful bastard! For being someone who desires her hand in marriage, you sure as hell don't appreciate for what she is, let alone giving her credit! That attitude only pisses me off!" Kiba spoke, his feral instincts slowly taking hold on him.

Despite this, Toneri did not feel threatened. He couldn't help but to smirk. "And what exactly are you going to do about it? Your threats are hollow. The last time we met, you almost met your end by my hands. However, if you were trying to defeat me through laughter, then you most certainly succeeded" he explained, continuing his roasting of Kiba.

The more he heard that tone, the angrier Kiba got. However, he knew just the perfect idea to calm himself. He got near Akamaru, eventually sitting on his back while stroking his white fur. Akamaru's fur was soft, and it was sometimes good to just touch it. Doing that often eased his stress or frustration. Kiba became that.

"Whatever you're planning, we're not gonna let you do as you please. You can't destroy an entire world based upon the actions of few messed-up shinobis. I mean, doesn't that sound very illogical to you?" Kiba decided to start a conversation with him. Hinata was surprised, yet she was relieved over the fact that Kiba had controlled his temper.

Toneri's azure eyes narrowed further. "Quit trivializing the subject, human. Destroying the Sage's world has been what my ancestor always desired! And as such, I will fulfill his last wish. Mankind must face the punishment for weaponizing Chakra. Nothing you say or do can possibly persuade me!" he berated Kiba.

Kiba was not giving up on this war of words. "Are you even listening to yourself right now? No wonder why you're stuck here on the Moon all alone. You just keep clouding yourself with these delusions of grandeur. That alone has turned you into nothing but a fruitcake without a clue about how life truly works!" the brown-haired man hit back at Toneri.

The moment he heard those words, Toneri's eyes widened in realization. He was drifting back to the past. He thought about his life on the Moon, as well as how he had experienced loneliness. But that was not all. Toneri was also thinking about the whisperings that had plagued his thoughts. All these thoughts only angered Toneri. As such, he turned his rage towards Kiba and his partner.

"Why you insolent, pathetic little….." Toneri said lowly, only to dash towards Kiba and Akamaru in fast speed. He grabbed them both while continuing flying towards the nearest wall. "BASTARD!" he yelled as he crashed through the wall, thus creating a hole in it.

Hinata was stunned. She had completely failed to take notice of how fast Toneri was. It was incredible! However, the bluenette soon realized what had just happened. She felt incredibly distressed right now, given that her teammate was now gone, although he was not dead.

"KIBA! AKAMARU!" she cried as she ran towards the hole in the wall. Hinata knew that Kiba and his partner were in grave danger. Once she got to the hole, she activated her Byakugan in order to find out the location of Kiba and Toneri. Now that the Tenseigan had been destroyed, the entire environment was barren and ragged. Therefore, it wouldn't be difficult to locate them. "I have to go there and help Kiba and Akamaru! As much as it pains me to say this, Kiba is simply no match for Toneri. His power is on a different level, if not the same as Naruto and Sasuke" the bluenette noted and quickly run out of this room, determined to help the man she loved.

* * *

 _Somewhere on the barren plains of the Moon_

Kiba rubbed his eyes and realized he was sitting on something so hard. Akamaru was lying right beside him. The brown-haired man helped his partner on his feet before doing it on his own. But as they got up, the duo was intrigued by where they were standing. All the trees, water and sunlight were gone, leaving only the barren wasteland and the black skies to be seen.

"Holy smokes….so this is what the Moon really looks like without the trees and stuff…" Kiba expressed his surprise over what he was seeing. "I never thought we would get to see a place like this, buddy" he remarked to Akamaru.

"Then you better enjoy them for now. For it will be the last thing you will ever see" Kiba and Akamaru quickly turned around and could see their hated enemy standing on what appeared to be a hill of rocks. Toneri's azure eyes were focused on them, and from the looks of it, he was furious. "Neither you nor your pet will see the light of the Sun ever again!" he added angrily.

Kiba and his partner stood their guard. "You again…why the hell did you take us here!?" he barked at Toneri.

The white-haired man got off the hill and landed not far from their standpoint. "To demonstrate why someone like you are unfit to be Hinata's husband" Toneri answered plainly. Without hesitating, Chakra began enveloping on his hands, indicating that he was prepared to attack Kiba and Akamaru. "You can have as much pets as you like, but it won't help you in defeating me!" he added.

The brown-haired man was surprised by how determined Toneri was in fighting him all of a sudden. Previously, it was the other way around. Had Kiba said something that caused Toneri to invigorate so much? He wondered about whether he had done that.

Even so, the Inuzuka cracked his knuckles while glaring at Toneri. "So, you finally wanna fight me, huh? Good, cause you've no idea how long I've waited to shove my fist into that big mouth of yours!" he revealed before turning his attention to Akamaru. "Akamaru! Man Beast Clone Jutsu! Now!" he told him, to which Akamaru barked in agreement.

The white-furred dog transformed himself into a perfect copy of Kiba. Once he had done that, they both got on all fours. Feral instincts took hold on them and it was apparent that Kiba and Akamaru were now performing a jutsu practiced by their clan.

"You've terrorized us for the last time. And worst of all, you've treated the woman I love as if she was trash! That's why me and Akamaru won't hold anything back in kicking your ass to the curve!" Kiba angrily told his opponent before Chakras began sprouting out of the two. "Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu!" he exclaimed loudly.

Toneri also felt himself ready to attack. As such, he gathered enough Chakra in his right hand, preparing to launch it towards his enemies. "Very well, Kiba Inuzuka. I accept your challenge. But just remember, you asked for this!" he reminded his opponent before aiming his hand at the pair. "NOW PERISH BY MY CHAKRA BEAM!" he yelled and proceeded to fire the beam of Chakra quite fast.

But in the nick of time, Kiba and Akamaru used their speed to quickly avoid getting hit by the beam. They both vanished right before the beam hit them. An explosion erupted as a result.

"COME ON, AKAMARU! LET'S GET HIM!" Kiba called over to his partner and they both ran towards Toneri like real dogs. And boy were they fast.

"What? How can those mutts possess so much speed?" Toneri wondered, yet he brushed it off his shoulders. "No matter, I am superior in any way! Try dodging my attacks all you want! You will both fail in the end!" he yelled before firing another beam of Chakra towards his enemies.

Kiba and Akamaru both went separate ways, hoping that it would distract Toneri. But it didn't, as Toneri was now firing beams of Chakra from his other hand as well. Luckily for the Inuzuka-duo, they were fast and capable of avoiding these beams. They ran across the rugged terrain as explosions kept happening one after another.

"We can't just keep carry on like this! Right now, Toneri is just toying with us until we tire from running. I guess it's time for us to fight him, man to man" Kiba thought before looking sideways to Akamaru, who was 3 meters away from his location. "HEY AKAMARU! LET'S GIVE TONERI WHAT HE REALLY WANTS! WE'RE GONNA PIN HIS ASS AGAINST THE NEAREST WALL OF ROCK!" he called out to his partner, who seemed more than delighted about this suggestion.

Using their incredible speed, Kiba and Akamaru proceeded to run straight towards Toneri, who ceased firing his beams. He understood what they were planning on doing.

"So you think you can take me head on? Very well, come at me, you beasts!" Toneri taunted the duo.

And thus, a hand to hand combat was erupting between the three. Yet despite being two against one, Toneri was perfectly handling Kiba and Akamaru on his own. His newly acquired Tenseigan enabled him to predict every move they were trying to pull on him.

"Is this the best you have to offer!?" Toneri asked them before proceeding to elbow Akamaru, thus sending him flying and crashing into a wall of rock. The azure-eyed man then focused his effort on fighting Kiba, the two men clashing each other by their arms. "I just managed to hit your pet easily, which makes it obvious that you will experience the same thing!" he taunted Kiba and punched him straight in his stomach. It was hard for Kiba and he was sent flying. Luckily, he landed on his fours with the help of the claws on his fingers.

Without delay, Kiba got up on his feet and readied himself for combat once again. This time, it was Toneri who came after him. Even so, Kiba remained far from intimidated.

"You sure like to run your mouth, don't ya? Well, that only confirms how pride is your weakness!" Kiba said and proceeded to jump in the air.

Toneri looked up, deciding to do the same thing. "You can't possibly be serious. How do you expect to defeat me with…ARGH!" the white-haired man felt himself getting pushed, so he fell onto the ground. Quickly looking up, Toneri could see Akamaru jumping to join Kiba. "Damn mutt! How dare you resort to such cowardice!?" he cursed the transformed dog.

Kiba only smirked in what he was seeing. "Oh yeah? Well this "so-called" mutt just pushed you to the ground!" he insulted Toneri before looking down at his partner. "Alright, buddy! This is it! You know what we'll do!" he told Akamaru, who simply grinned in return.

The Inuzuka-duo was now performing the move called "Fang over Fang". However, they weren't going after Toneri. Rather, they were headed towards each other. As such, the two spinning vortexes collided, yet it didn't stop either of them. A giant vortex was formed as a result of this collision and it was heading straight towards Toneri.

The azure-eyed man couldn't believe his eyes. "What in the world…what trickery is this!?" Toneri demanded as he watching this incoming vortex headed towards him.

The brown-haired man grinned as he heard his enemy ask him this. "It's a technique from the Inuzuka clan! One that only the professionals use! Once I'm done with you, you might wanna reconsider degrading us Inuzukas! So allow us to show you how dangerous we can be!" Kiba explained loudly to Toneri, despite being stuck in this giant vortex. "It's now or never, Akamaru! We got him now! Man Beast Martial Arts Secret Jutsu…HEAVEN TWIN FANG!" he exclaimed loudly as the vortex headed straight towards its target.

The result of the vortex crashing onto the ground was tremendous. Given that Kiba and Akamaru were technically spinning around, the attack managed to dig a deep hole on the barren ground. As soon as this commotion was over, Kiba and Akamaru stood by the hole, panting as they watched their handy work. After a few seconds of catching their breaths, Kiba had to chuckle.

"It worked…IT FUCKING WORKED!" Kiba felt pride bloom within him. The brown-haired man sat down to get a closer look at the hole, but it was no use. The hole was too deep and he couldn't see anyone down there. Kiba sat beside Akamaru. "I bet that motherfucker will regret underestimating us, wouldn't you say, buddy?" he quizzed his dog, who happily barked in reply as a yes.

Looking around, everything was quiet so far. Yet for some reason, Kiba felt it was kinda lonely, given how uninhabitable the Moon looked like without the energy vessel.

"You know, I think I now see why the Otsutsukis built the Tenseigan. I mean, who could ever hope to inhabit a forsaken place such as this?" Kiba asked his partner, yet he could see that the dog was equally curious to know the answers. One thing was for sure, this place was definitely not suited for animals, especially dogs.

As the Inuzuka-duo were enjoying their supposed victory, a sadistic laughter could be heard from the hole. It put them both on alert. They stared down the deep hole.

"That son a bitch…...he's still alive…." Kiba muttered beneath his gritted teeth.

"Of course, I am alive, simpleton. Did you think that an attack like this would be the end of me?" he tauntingly asked Kiba. "You are grievingly mistaking, Kiba Inuzuka! And thus, your arrogance will be your own undoing!" he added to his insult.

Out of the darkness, a ball of Chakra could be seen heading straight up towards Akamaru. The dog got hit by it and flew backwards. Kiba was shocked, as he failed to so much as notice the ball.

"AKAMARU!" Kiba yelled and ran over to the injured dog. So far, he was bleeding under his throat and it greatly concerned his partner. "Akamaru, stay still! I will find a way to…." Kiba was coming up with a suggestion, only to stop as he could feel something happening behind him.

Slowly turning around, Kiba was filled with disbelief and slight terror. Someone was actually floating above the deep hole. It was Toneri, yet not in the same appearance as he was known to have. He was now shrouded with cyan-colored Chakra. In addition, he now had six magatama markings on his collar, dark markings over his eyebrows and lower eyelids, and a single horn extending from his forehead. From the looks of it, this form looked awfully similar to Naruto's Tailed-Beast Chakra Mode. It almost looked as if Toneri was on fire.

"No…this can't be happening…..THIS CAN'T BE FUCKING HAPPENING!" Kiba angrily yelled in frustration in what he was seeing.

Toneri only smirked in return and Kiba could see it despite the Chakra shrouding his face. "It would appear that I foolishly underestimated you, filthy savage. However, I will make no such errors from now on. And to pay my respects to your bravery, I will give you the honor of being defeated by me in my newly-acquired power!" he declared as he stretched out his arms. "What you see here is me in the Tenseigan Chakra Mode. Having mastered this Kekkei Genkai, I now wield the power of my ancestors…THE POWER OF THE SHINOBI GODS!" he exclaimed in a delighted manner.

Kiba stood his guard, yet suddenly taking notice of Akamaru getting up on his feet. "Akamaru…..are you okay….." he questioned his partner, yet the dog refused to give into his pain. He growled towards Toneri. "Damn it…..what kind of tricks does that wackjob have!? This is getting complicated by the minute" Kiba muttered beneath his breath.

"If you had any sense, you would flee this encounter. However, your stubbornness tells me otherwise" Toneri "advised" his enemies, feeling all high and mighty while being in this form of his. Slowly, he began levitating towards the ground not far from the Inuzuka-duo. "Try resisting me as much as you can! It will not make a difference. You will both fail" he then went on trying to shatter the fighting spirit that existed inside Kiba.

Kiba couldn't stand being treated like this. Akamaru could see the feral rage that was slowly beginning to take hold on his partner. Was there a reason for why he was behaving? Apparently, it was, as Kiba began facing the barren ground with a resentful expression.

"Don't underestimate me…." Kiba spoke up lowly, his knuckled crunching themselves. "I may not be as powerful and charismatic as Naruto…..and I may not be as tough and mighty as Sasuke…..but that means nothing to me!" he suddenly began raising his voice. Akamaru was surprised by this, yet Toneri was unfazed.

"What are you saying? Are you suggesting that while you think of yourself as someone high and mighty, people back in the Leaf Village actually looks down on you….as if you are some kind of clown or lunatic?" Toneri musingly questioned him, admitting he found it hilarious. "Well, that only confirms one thing. The people of the Leaf are smarter compared to you. You are probably ranked among the dumbest of….." Toneri was interrupted by Kiba's angry voice.

"SHUT UP!" the brown-haired man yelled at his opponent, now beginning to expose his feral teeth. "I don't give a shit about what people think about me! I believe in myself and that's final! And now, I'm gonna do something I never thought I would ever do" Kiba went on with his tirade.

Toneri was still not paying much heed to his threats. "And that would be?" the white-haired man asked the young Inuzuka.

Kiba readied himself for combat, and Akamaru stubbornly resisted his injury to join his partner in combat. Both of them were now determined to resume their battle against Toneri, despite noticing his powerful Chakra. Kiba's feral eyes never left sight of his hated enemy.

"I'm gonna save the world by defeating you! That's right! I will be the one you fight, not Naruto! It's time that I got the spotlight by kicking your ass once and for all! And probably for the first time ever…..I'LL FACE AN OPPONENT WITH DIGNITY INSTEAD OF COWARDICE! MAN BEAST CLONE JUTSU!" he declared and once again, Akamaru was turned into a direct copy of Kiba himself.

Toneri almost laughed in seeing this. "You can't be serious. Do you intend to strike me once again with that predictable strategy of yours? You are in over your head" he scolded and insulted Kiba at the same time.

"Think again, asswipe!" Kiba swore at him before performing a hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he then exclaimed and a Shadow Clone appeared beside Kiba.

This time, Toneri seemed slightly interested. "So, you plan on attacking me with three clones, individually? I am not amused" he commented.

"Well, I don't expect you to be amused in the first place. So, do me a favor and shut the fuck up!" Kiba hit back before he performed a hand seal. Both Akamaru and the Shadow Clone clung themselves onto him, as if they were trying to connect with one another. Kiba grinned cockily at his opponent. "Say goodnight, Toneri…..INUZUKA STYLE: MAN-BEAST TRANSFORMATION COMBO: THREE-HEADED WOLF!" the brown-haired man loudly exclaimed as Chakra and smoke erupted out of the trio.

Toneri remained still, and he could even see through the smoke with his Tenseigan. He was amused by what he saw. "I see. So this is your final gamble?" he questioned his opponent.

Once the smoke cleared, a gigantic, three-headed wolf appeared. It was ferocious and ready to attack his target. But being bigger than him did not intimidate Toneri at all. As a matter of fact, Toneri had to admit he was fascinated with what his opponent had just done. He had never seen something like this on the Moon.

"How interesting. You transformed yourself into this ferocious beast by fusing yourself with your dog and your Shadow Clone. Three sources of Chakra combined together. Fascinating. Perhaps your clan is not as boring as I first thought" Toneri expressed his interest of Kiba's transformation.

The three-headed wolf only growled in return in hearing this. That's right, given that it Kiba had become this creature by fusing with Akamaru and the Shadow Clone, he could not speak human language. His behavior was now more that of a wolf than human. However, Kiba could communicate with Akamaru on the inside.

"Get ready, Akamaru! It's time we show this jackass how we Inuzukas get real when it comes to battle!" Kiba told his partner, yet only they alone could hear it, not Toneri.

"I grow tired of waiting! So, let us resume this match. Time for round 2! Allow me to give you the courtesy by coming at you first!" the white-haired man exclaimed and with his fast speed vanished from his spot.

The wolf snapped yet stood on its guard. But it was too slow to react to Toneri's attack. His speed was unbelievable. Toneri attacked the wolf from underneath and it was a powerful slam that send the big beast flying. However, Kiba and his partners were not giving up.

"That guy's speed was fast! BUT SO ARE WE! GET READY TO LAND AND USE THIS NEW TRICK WE LEARNED, GUYS!" Kiba told Akamaru and the Shadow Clone, and the wolf quickly regained its senses. Before it could land on the ground, the wolf curled itself into a ball and began rolling at a ferocious speed, as if it was chasing after its own tail. It then aimed itself towards Toneri, who was still in the above ground from a long distance. "THIS IS IT! LET'S GIVE HIM HELL! TAIL CHASING ROTATING FANG!" Kiba yelled to his partners and the wolf unleashed its ultra-violent rotation towards the enemy. It sure spun fast like a spin wheel.

Toneri could see his opponent head straight towards him in a surprisingly incredible speed. However, he would not dodge it. No, that would be an insult to his pride as an Otsutsuki. Instead, he would take on the wolf head on with his own attack. In his mind, he was still superior in every way, including speed.

"You think I will back down from a challenge like this!? You are wrong! I will meet this challenge head on!" he exclaimed as he gathered some Truthseeker Orbs around him. He infused them with his own Chakra and combined them all to a single giant orb of glowing power on his right hand. He was ready to attack. "Now! Feel the wrath of the Otsutsuki!" he declared as he charged straight towards the wolf. His speed could be seen as cyan-colored light dashing towards its target.

It was now on. A clash was about to take place between the them and the only question was whom would win. The moment the two fast opponents collided between one another, an explosion erupted on the barren landscape. It was incredible, as the explosion itself was large than the attack Kiba and Akamaru pulled earlier. Giant pieces of stones flew up in the air. And out of the smoke that had appeared in wake of the explosion came the wolf. But it as completely paralyzed and unable to defend itself. None of its heads seemed to be operational.

Toneri could be heard laughing as he stood on the crater that had taken shape due to the explosion. Using his gifted powers from the Tenseigan, Toneri levitated dozen of the giant pieces of hard rock and threw them up to the wolf in the air. The stones were fired fast, and one by one, they hit the wolf like rockets trying to hit their target. Kiba and his partners had been paralyzed by Toneri's attack and were now being treated as a sandbag.

"Pitiful! Just absolutely pitiful! And you considered yourself to be high and mighty? I almost feel sorry for laughing at you!" Toneri said while continuing with this tormenting.

"FUCK! WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Kiba angrily asked as he felt slightly powerless. "WHY WON'T THAT DAMN THING RESPOND!? COME ONE! MOVE IT, GODDAMN IT!" he continued to yell in desperation.

Once the rocks were gone, the wolf could finally fall onto the ground without getting hit by more of them. But Toneri had other plans. Using his fast speed, he began attacking the wolf repeatedly, thus rendering it powerless. At this rate, Kiba and was partners were no match against this powerful man. It didn't take long before he stopped, realizing that he would have to end this fight. He smiled sadistically.

"I think it is time that we ended this little charade. However, I will must first force you all out of this monstrosity. And I know just the perfect way to do that" Toneri said and a Truthseeking Orb appeared at his side once again. He focused a tremendous amount of Chakra into that orb before grasping it with his hand. To moment he grasped it, Toneri created a giant golden sword of Chakra. But it functioned more like a blast. "Say your prayers! GOLDEN WHEEL REBIRTH EXPLOSION!" he loudly exclaimed as he fired the projectile towards the giant wolf.

The wolf had no energy left to avoid getting hit and were taken by it as a result. They landed on the ground and an explosion appeared. Black smoke erupted in wake of the explosion. Feeling victorious, Toneri happily descended towards the crater he had created with this attack of his. By simply swinging his right arm, he blew away the smoke, thus giving him a clear view of his defeated opponents.

Both Kiba and Akamaru were lying on the ground with critical injuries. Akamaru was bleeding from his stomach and back, given that he had received a cut. The white-furred dog was not even moving an inch. The same thing could be said about Kiba. His entire body was bruised and bloodied from his face to his feet. His eyes were now pale white, and he was barley breathing. Even so, the brown-haired man no longer had the power to even move a muscle.

Feeling victorious, Toneri deactivated his Chakra Mode and walked over to Kiba's unconscious body lying among the rubbles. Blood could even be soon around him, as if it had spread once he had crashed on the ground.

"How humiliating. Here you thought you could actually make a difference in saving the world, only to fail so miserably. You simply have no sense at all" Toneri remarked as he put one foot on Kiba's injured stomach, causing the young man to scream in pain. The white-haired man took pleasure in this and proceeded to use his other foot to stomp on his left ankle. Kiba continued to scream, given how his body was incredibly destroyed. "Now you understand how you and I are worlds apart when it comes to power! And as such, you will never defeat me, let alone save your precious Earth! It will be destroyed!" the white-haired man went on telling him what would happen before getting off Kiba's body. Looking to his left, Toneri could see that Akamaru was not even breathing. This only confirmed to him about the fact that the dog was dead.

As Kiba kept panting deeply, he felt his life and energy starting to slip away. Was this really the end of him? "Fuck…..I lost…..I lost…." Kiba lamented to himself, feeling nothing but humiliation, along with pain of course. Toneri had taken notice of Kiba speaking, so he focused his attention on him. "All that I wanted to do…was to prove how I…..was not a weakling…how I could make a difference…..and be a hero that people never saw me as…and to save….to woman I love" the Inuzuka added, his eyes slowly beginning to be filled with tears. Never before had he felt so humiliated in his life.

Toneri was far from moved by hearing Kiba being this way. He continued to stare at him coldly. "You still keep believe that Hinata loves you? How deluded. Its time you realized that you are unworthy of being her husband. You and your friends interrupted the wedding ceremony. For that, I will punish you all, starting with you, Kiba Inuzuka" the azure-eyed man informed Kiba of his motives. "Once I have disposed of all you intruders, I will restart the wedding ceremony and make officially make Hinata my wife. And there is nothing you or anyone could do to stop me!" he firmly told Kiba.

While panting deeply to recover his breath, Kiba surprisingly found himself smiling, despite being in this critical condition. Furthermore, he could actually laugh weakly. Toneri was confused over what his defeated opponent was doing.

"What is so funny? You are about to meet your end. Is dying with shame something to laugh about?" he questioned the brown-haired man.

Kiba continued laughing for a few more seconds. His smile never faded away and he even glanced up to Toneri, facing him directly in his eyes. "Death has nothing to do with this…...I'm just laughing about…...making Hinata your wife…..." he told him smugly.

Toneri was slightly growing agitated by this man. "And what exactly do you mean by that? Are you saying that Hinata is someone you should never marry?" he sternly questioned Kiba.

"Yeah…especially since Hinata no longer has her…...virginity….." Kiba said between his pants.

"Quit spewing such nonsense! Hinata has never been intimate with anyone! What proof do you have to support that?" Toneri demanded, slightly starting to feel angry.

Kiba faced him with his toothy grin, as a means to defy being at Toneri's mercy. "You stupid, ignorant fuck…...you really have no idea…that Hinata has been fooling you this entire time…..." Kiba said, yet he felt he could say more to him. "Hinata's no virgin…she's had sex before…and guess who took her virginity away from her…" the brown-haired man tried to get under Toneri's skin.

Toneri's azure-eyes widened in disbelief and realization. He couldn't believe in what Kiba was now telling him. He was even gasping slightly. Kiba, while still feeling pain all over his body, had enough strength to at least raise himself up and stand on his elbows. The young Inuzuka was feeling quite smug and sanctimonious, so much that he completely forgot about the critical condition he was in.

"Heh…...you guessed right…...the one who took pleasure taking her from behind…was me!" Kiba revealed, laughing out loudly towards his hated enemy. "And you have no idea how good it felt…and boy, she really was shy yet sexy at the same time. I cherished every moment I saw Hinata in her glory. And as bad as it may have sounded…I regret nothing!" he went on explaining how he felt when he and Hinata had that intimacy between each other. So far, Toneri was filled with so many conflicting thoughts and Kiba could see that. Therefore, he could at least shatter his hope. "So…...if you think you will be married to a virgin….then you're seriously mistaking…..and just think about it….I had the pleasure of doing all kinds of things with her….before you came into the picture. I mean, in a way…...she's basically already taken. So, guess what, Toneri Otsutsuki…...I fucked your wife!" Kiba added while he flipped his middle finger at Toneri. He then continued to laugh at the azure-eyed man.

Toneri was completely stuck in a storm of thoughts. What Kiba just told him, made it all slightly possible. Was he telling him the truth? Had Hinata really lied to him about having no intimacy with Kiba? If she had really done that, then that would've been a serious breach of trust on Hinata's part. And not only that, Toneri believed that Hinata would never give birth to healthy and powerful heirs a he had hoped for. At this rate, Hinata had let her fertility be infected by this Inuzuka-taint. Fear began taking hold in Toneri's azure eyes. His plans to rebuild civilization on Earth was in jeopardy.

"No….it can't be…...no….it can't be…..." Toneri uttered out those words repeatedly, feeling incredibly clueless and lost.

Kiba only mused to himself. In his eyes, he had managed to break Toneri's mind. He decided to keep it up. "Well…..now that you know the truth about Hinata…..you may wanna reconsider this marriage of yours…..I mean…..why would you even marry a woman whose virginity has already been….AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Kiba yelled in agony as he felt something pierce through his right shoulder.

Toneri had, in his anger, stabbed Kiba with the help of a spear, which seemed to be made out of his Chakra. The white-haired man was furious, firming his grip on his spear as he sought to make Kiba feel pain and agony. "Filthy human…YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH THIS INSTANT!" Toneri yelled at the brown-haired man before pulling the spear out with his might, once again causing the Inuzuka to cry in agony. "You dare fill my mind with all these delusions!? My mind is not for yours to control! You will regret spewing out this nonsense about Hinata!" he added to his explanation.

Kiba clutched himself to his right shoulder in order to stop the bleeding. However, he still had enough energy to badmouth his enemy. "Are fucking kidding me right now….we both know that what I just told you was true. I mean, don't Otsutsukis have the ability to see through one's lies?" he asked the white-haired man. "And for the record…...doesn't deserve to be with you! You never care about her happiness, let alone what she truly wants….AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHHH!" Kiba screamed once again as he felt pain, this time on his left knee.

Toneri had stabbed him with his spear of Chakra. He felt angrier by simply listening to Kiba's voice. He really wanted him to just stop. He pulled his spear out of Kiba's knee, the brown-haired man still feeling the agony taking told him on.

"You have been a pest for the last time, Kiba Inuzuka! I simply cannot tolerate your very existence! It highly offends me! Obviously, you are incapable of common sense, let alone understanding for the shinobi world. Why your so-called friends tolerate you is beyond me!" Toneri said and raised his spear once again, this time aiming for his chest, or more specifically his heart. "So to shatter your friends' spirits, I will put an end to your miserable life! That will show them what it means to defy a god! So don't worry about enduring this embarrassment! Death will silence your shame!" he added with hateful words directed towards the brown-haired man.

Kiba knew that this was the end of him. He only now had few seconds lift to reflect on his life. He couldn't believe it. The Inuzuka had survived many battles, including the Fourth Shinobi World War. But now, he was a wits end. He would die on the Moon. Silently praying to himself, Kiba thought about his friends and family and apologized to each of them.

"Akamaru…..mom…..big sis…Kurenai-sensei…Shino…Hinata…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being such a screw-up to everyone of you!" Kiba thought as he started to actually shed a tear.

Narrowing his eyes coldly, Toneri knew the time to deliver the final blow was now. "Give my regards to the afterlife…..YOU WORTHLESS SAVAGE!" he yelled as he moved his spear to pierce Kiba one last time.

The brown-haired man closed his eyes. He was prepared to die at this moment. However, after 6 seconds, Kiba noticed something strange. Why wasn't the spear through him? The brown-haired man slowly opened his eyes to see what had just happened. Once he got a good look, he gasped in surprise of who was standing near him.

Believe it or not, someone had actually saved Kiba in the nick of time by holding onto Toneri's spear, this preventing it from reaching Kiba's chest. The one who was doing that…was Hinata. Kiba couldn't believe what he was seeing. But he was not alone. Even Toneri was stunned in seeing what his supposed bride was doing.

"Hinata…" Toneri said lowly, shocked by this turn of events.

The bluenette was no longer having her usual shy and reserved face. Rather, it was a face of anger and resentment. Her bright eyes were narrowing, yet she had not activated her Byakugan. Regardless, Hinata was furious, something that was rare for her character.

"Hinata…what are you doing…let go of my spear" Toneri requested of her.

"No….." Hinata lowly, yet angrily replied.

Toneri was dumbfounded over this. "You are my future wife…you can't simply refuse my…" the white-haired man stopped once Hinata spoke up once again.

"I said….NO!" Hinata raised her voice, surprisingly breaking Toneri's spear by tightening her grip on it with the help of her Chakra.

Toneri was stunned to see how strong Hinata really was. His spear had been broken. It made him back off, yet not far away. He still didn't understand how she could do something like this with him.

"What is going on here?" Toneri wondered to himself. "Why is she behaving this way?" he added to his question, yet could see that Hinata was now focused on Kiba.

The stunning bluenette was horrified by seeing the condition Kiba and Akamaru were in. She almost gasped. "Oh my God! Kiba! Akamaru!" she cried while sitting down on her knees. "You're both hurt…...how are you…..." Hinata was on the verge of crying.

Kiba only gave her his toothy grin in return. "I'm okay, Hinata. I still breath and I bet Akamaru do that as well, although he is unconscious…AAAAARGHH!" Kiba winced once he felt pain in his neck by simply turning.

"Please, don't move, Kiba. Stay where you are! Sakura and the other healers are here as we speak. They will take care of you and Akamaru" Hinata assured Kiba while urging him to stay down for his own good. "So please don't strain yourself. That's all I ask of you, Kiba" she told him while smiling slightly

"But…what about you?" the brown-haired man asked the Hyuuga-heiress, only to see that she didn't feel responsive right now. Hinata got up on her feet and directed her attention towards Toneri, even talking small steps towards him. "Hinata….." Kiba had to admit he was concerned for her.

Hinata fixed her angry eyes upon the azure-eyed man, who had remained silent so far. The bluenette ended her steps and readied herself for combat, much to Toneri's surprise. Her purple Chakra began showing on her hands and they were formed like lions.

"Toneri Otsutsuki! For too long, I had to endure torment under your eyes. But now, enough is enough!" Hinata firmly told him. "You have terrorized the people of Earth, including my family and friends…you have manipulated me into participating in this wedding of yours.…and worst of all…..you almost killed the man I truly love…..…and because of that….I WILL DEFEAT YOU WITH MY VERY HANDS!" the bluenette angrily declared before Toneri.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: That was chapter 25. This chapter focused on Kiba's fight with Toneri, which of course ended up in disaster. The next chapter will focus on how Naruto and Sasuke deal with the golem, as well as the Hinata battling Toneri. I don't want her to be the damsel in distress like Kishimoto made her out to be. And at the same time, I don't wanna make Naruto the sole hero in this story. Also, in the next chapter, I may write some scenes for Earth, including the Kages having discussion on what to do now that meteors are falling down. Until then, stay tuned for the next chapter and thank you so much for reading it so far!**


	26. Broken Promises

**Author's note: While this chapter will return our focus on the Moon, the first parts will tell us about how the situation on Earth is so far. We will see how Tsunade, Kakashi, Gaara and B are doing while Naruto and his friends are on the Moon fighting. I also plan on revealing a new player in this story, by which I mean a new antagonist. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Broken Promises**

 _On the cliffs of the Village Hidden in the Clouds, Land of Lightning_

When meteorites would descend upon the Earth, only two villages were brave enough to stand up to this threat. It was the Stone Village and the Cloud Village. The Stone ninjas would gather their strongest shinobis and use their abilities to slow down the meteorites' descending towards their village. Then, they would begin crushing them into many pieces. The Cloud Village's methods on the other hand, was a different story.

Using their newest specialized long-ranged weapons called Chakra Cannons, the Cloud ninjas succeeded in halting the meteorites' strikes and saving their home. The Chakra Cannons consisted of three muzzles which fired beams of Chakra. Each of them was loaded with Chakra by groups of Cloud ninjas. Once the cannons' capacity was at hundred percent, they would dire, the muzzles combining their Chakras into a single blast.

Right now, the leadership of the Cloud Village were with the Chakra Cannons were placed: somewhere on the cliffs outside the village. The Fourth Raikage A, as well as his the Eight-Tailed Ox's Jinchuuriki Killer B, were there to lead and supervise the Cloud ninjas. They along with other notable Cloud ninjas such as Cee, Darui, Samui, Omoi and Karui were surveying the efforts they had done so far.

"Lord Raikage. We succeeded in dividing these meteorites into many lesser pieces. But there is something that is strange" Cee told his superior as he looked up to the Moon. "For some reason, the Moon has begun to descend slower. What could that reason be?" he wondered.

"The answer to that is painfully obvious, Cee" Killer B spoke up, the man with sunglasses grinning as he looked up to see the Moon. "It's Naruto and his homies, yo! They're finally putting an effort to stop this. Now do you see what I'm telling you, A?" he explained before facing his adoptive brother, who was seated on a chair.

A narrowed his eyes as he looked up. "It's too early to celebrate, B. While the Moon may have been slowed, it continues to move towards the Earth. That explains the continued rain of meteorites" the Raikage told everyone of his assessment.

B responded by folding his arms while looking into another direction. "Tch…...whatever, bruh. I'm just trying to help you out" the Jinchuuriki said, earning him a scowl from his adoptive brother.

The Cloud ninjas standing by them could notice the growing animosity between the two brothers. It was troubling to look at, especially for Omoi and Karui, who had been mentored by B once. Privately, they wished for B and A to remain partners. But the aftermath of the world war had left it almost impossible. The two Cloud ninjas moved further away from the group in order to converse between each other in peace.

"Why is Master B still on bad terms with the Raikage?" Omoi lowly asked Karui, trying not to draw attention to anyone around them.

Karui only glanced at the swordsman dispassionately. "It's not that they're on bad terms with each other, Omoi! It's the ongoing grief and sorrow that has affected them since "that" day" the red-haired woman explained to him firmly. Despite being in her usual short-tempered attitude, Karui managed to calm down and watched the two brothers with a hint of worry in her eyes. "We all were unprepared for the Sado clan coup attempt, even those two. Since then, they haven't been able to spend time grieving together" Karui explained further.

Omoi fully understood what she was saying. "Yeah. Everything got messed up. Hell, even we lost friends during "that" day. Fuck…I still can't believe she would…." he stuttered, but Omoi started to shut his eyes while trying not to cry. Apparently, he was thinking about someone very dear to him.

"Just shut up, Omoi! Don't you dare bring that up now!" Karui berated him, her also being on the verge of crying. "One more word out of you and I swear to God I'll beat your…" she tried to say the word, until someone interrupted their conversation.

"Hey, you two. Knock it off." the two shinobis were interrupted by a calm voice coming from none other than Darui, one of A's personal bodyguards. He was serious, yet he didn't frown at the two. "I know what the two of you are thinking. But please, let go of it. You're feeling guilty over Hikui Sado's death. But none of your had anything to do with it" the encouraged them.

Both Karui and Omoi watched Darui, wiping off their tears as they listened to what the proud Cloud shinobi was about to tell them. To their surprises, he even smiled at them. Apparently, Darui understood their pain.

"Rather than remembering her as a misguided villain she became, try remembering her as the honorable and sweet teammate as she was. That's what Lord Killer B has done. I can understand how it's easier said than done. But it's better than to be stuck with it for the rest of your lives, believe me." Darui told them.

When hearing this, both Omoi and Karui realized how right he was. It's true. Just because their old teammate became an enemy to them, it didn't mean she would be remembered as a villain forever. She meant something to each of them in their lives, as well as for Killer B.

"You're right…" Omoi spoke up, trying to wipe out his tears that were slowly coming out of his eyes. "I don't care about what people say… Hikui was one of us…and she always will be" he spoke up, trying to bury his sadness.

Karui weakly nodded her head in return. "You got that right. She was the better of us" she noted, finally agreeing something with her lazy comrade for once.

Back at the Raikage's seat, A was now watching the many screens that were used to communicate with the other Five Kages with. Samui and her younger brother Atsui was fixing one of them. A was only interested in talking with only one of the Kages: Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage. But for what reason?

"We're in contact with him now, Lord Raikage. You're free to speak to him as you please" Samui told her superior in her usual calm-mannered voice.

A nodded in understanding and motioned for her and Atsui to step away. The Raikage then fixed his attention on Onoki in the screen. "Why have you called for me, Onoki? Shouldn't you be concentrating on defending your village from those meteorites? Explain yourself" A told his counterpart from the Stone Village. He was slightly feeling irritated over having to waste time with this conversation.

"Believe me, A, this talk between us is worth it. We both know what it takes to protect our world. But our fellow Kages seem to disagree. I have reached out to you in order to share with you very detailed information" Onoki told him, the Tsuchikage feeling determined to reveal something to A.

The Raikage only shrugged his shoulders in hearing this. "Then this better be done quickly. We can't afford to waste time with these meaningless chats" he sternly replied.

Onoki was pleased to know that A was willing to listen, so he decided to proceed. "As you may know, we all expected each of the Five Great Hidden Villages to be truthful and honest with each other. First of all, the Leaf Village never told us about them sending their own expedition to the Moon. But that is not just it. My sources tell me that shinobis of the Sand and Mist Villages also sent their own to this expedition. And they never even told us" the Tsuchikage informed his counterpart from the Cloud Village.

"Just get to the point, Tsuchikage. What does that have to do with us?" A questioned him firmly.

"It has something to do with us, Raikage. Especially since the Leaf, Sand and Mist has created a secret alliance between their agencies: something called the Triple Entente" Onoki revealed to him sternly.

Hearing this caused A's eyes to widen in surprise. He never expected to hear this from Onoki, who has known to be deceptive in the past. "An alliance between agencies…you're not making any sense….." the Raikage spoke up.

Onoki's weary eyes narrowed further. "Think whatever you like, A. But the fact of the matter is, those three villages have created a military alliance behind our backs. They never once reached out to either of us to join them. You do realize what that means, don't you? It means they still distrust us for no apparent reason" the Tsuchikage revealed to him with slight angered tone.

A was once again confused, yet he could tell that Onoki was not lying to him. They had both gotten to know each other better during the war. But even as the war was over, people still distrusted both the Cloud Village and the Stone Village for what they had been accused of. The Raikage seemed to comprehend what the whole picture was about.

"So they formed an alliance without asking for our support…...and they even have shinobis on the Moon without us knowing…how could they have done that to us!?" A barked at the screen, feeling angered over what he was hearing from the Tsuchikage.

"I can ask them the same question. What do you say you and I have a talk with Tsunade, Mei and Gaara over this secret of theirs? Whatever their excuses are, they have violated the Hashirama-agreement by creating this alliance behind our backs!" Onoki said, his voice filled with resentment. "A, you and I have fought beside one another, yet we always had different opinions of each other in terms of leadership and morality. But we both know that unless something is done quickly with this threat from the Moon, we will all die. So let us put our animosities we carry towards one another aside for now and start working together in order to save the our home" the Tsuchikage was now trying to foster a partnership between him and A.

"As much as I hate to say this, you are right, Onoki. We will rat out those lying scumbags and demand every ounce of the truth they have been holding back!" A said, agreeing with the Tsuchikage's suggestion. "That being said, know that we will fire our Chakra Cannons once the Moon nears us. I expect you to be prepared for what is coming next" the Raikage informed his counterpart from the Stone Village.

Onoki firmly nodded his head in return. "I am well aware of that fact, Raikage. Hopefully, you will be willing to take those drastic measures. I will" the elderly man told him and the screen was switched off.

Once the conversation was over, A began conversing with his closest associates, including Killer B. They were also stunned to hear what the Leaf, Sand and Mist Villages had done in forming this military alliance of theirs. But some like B, Omoi and Karui was having some doubts in what Onoki had told A. Could he be trusted?

"Are you certain about this, Lord Raikage?" Cee asked him. "We can't be sure whether the Tsuchikage is telling us the truth or not. Why should you take his word for granted?" the blonde-haired man added to his assumptions, still not feeling sure about these allegations.

A got up from his seat and began facing the Moon. "Think about it, Cee. You have noticed how Tsunade, Mei and Gaara all constantly flock to each other's aid. And while Onoki previously voiced his opposition against us destroying the Moon, he was actually being truthful with me now" he told his advisors as he paced around. "Let us contact all the Kages once again. It's time to make Tsunade and the others come clean about their charade" the Raikage then declared.

Cee saluted before him in return. "As you wish, sir!" he said, willing to follow his orders whatever the means.

"Not so fast, fool. You're still gonna wait for Naruto and the others to finish their job!" Killer B spoke up his mind, once again earning him a glare from A. The two brothers were once again feeling the animosity build between them. "You heard me. I don't give a rat's ass about this military alliance or whatever. We're in a goddamn crisis! And as such, you ain't gonna blow up the Moon and kill Naruto! Otherwise, I'll lose second friend!" B began getting more confrontational with the Raikage. Those around them were worried about things getting out of control once again.

Even so, A didn't do anything to retaliate against his brother. Instead, he gave B the cold shoulder and returned to his seat. Then he began replying to B's words. "Your loyalties lie with the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Try not to forget that, B" A coldly reminded his younger brother.

B responded by facing another direction, and A focused his attention on the many screens. The Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tailed Ox was getting more agitated by the how stubborn A was becoming once again. He had hoped it would disappear in the war's aftermath, but apparently, he was mistaken.

"Tch, I can't believe this bullshit!" B expressed his dissatisfaction over the matter.

* * *

 _On top of the Hokage Tower, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

The leadership of the Leaf Village were stunned to see how slowly the Moon was moving towards the world in comparison to before. Tsunade and her advisors were conversing with one of the astrologists on this matter while observing the Armageddon Countdown Clock. So far, things were looking troubling, yet they could see how slower the clock was ticking than ever before. The astrologist had a hypothesis for that fact.

"So Naruto and the Moon Expedition has managed to slow down the Moon's movement?" the Fifth Hokage asked the four-eyed woman.

The astrologist nodded her head as a yes. "Indeed. But while they have succeeded in slowing it down, the Moon is still moving towards us. The only hope is that they manage to defeat Toneri Otsutsuki" she informed her.

"Hmmm…...then that only makes things more obvious" Kakashi remarked, the masked man facing the Moon. "Even so, I doubt defeating Toneri will be easy for Naruto and the others. But they have our full support, mine included" Kakashi added to his analysis of the situation.

Tsunade formed smirk with her lips. "Of course, they have. We're all counting on them, including the rest of the Five Great Hidden Villagers. They are our beacon of hope amidst this catastrophe" the Fifth Hokage expressed her confidence in the Moon Expedition, as well as in Naruto, Sakura and the other Leaf shinobis currently up there.

Kurenai was also gazing up the moon, the crimson-eyed woman still thinking about her three students being stuck up there. "Kiba. Hinata. Shino. You three better come back alive. If not, I'll not forgive either of you" she said lowly.

Shizune appeared beside her superior to which Tsunade acknowledged her presence. "Lady Tsunade, the other Kages are now on the line. It appears that the Raikage and the Tsuchikage wants to have some words with you" the attendant informed her.

The Hokage only groaned while hearing this. "For the love of…fine. I'll be there in a second" Tsunade replied and went over to the screens were all the Kage's faces could be seen.

From the looks of it, both A and Onoki had angry expressions, yet Gaara and Mei remained calm. Tsunade considered herself to be on the latter group. She was also careful not to show her slight disdain of the Raikage. However, she started the conversation by speaking towards her fellow Kages in a gentle tone.

"Greetings, Kages. To what do I owe this interruption? I am already busy organizing our village's evacuation" the blonde-haired woman informed them all.

A only grunted in reply to her statement. "Or maybe you are bluffing" he told her, much to Tsunade's own chagrin.

"Still carrying the sanctimony, Raikage? Your stubbornness knows no bounds" Mei remarked in what she was hearing from him. While she was patient as the water itself, she also held some disdain for A's personality.

"I wouldn't have been so smug if I were you, Mizukage. And the same goes for you too, Kazekage" Onoki firmly told them, thus surprising the other Kages.

"Excuse me?" Gaara wondered, although he was more confused than offended. "I beg your pardon, but neither of you are making any sense, Tsuchikage. Why being this condescending towards us?" the red-haired Kazekage gently asked the elderly man.

Tsunade gritted her teeth in irritation. "Just what in the hell is wrong with you two!? Our world is in a crisis and here you wanna keep dividing us like before?" she asked them dispassionately.

Both A and Onoki directed their attentions towards her. "You claim we seek to divide the world while we are the only ones who takes drastic measures to save it! You, on the other hand, relies on deceit and secrets to do it!" the Raikage barked.

"All of you can play dumb as much as you want. We know for a fact that there are more than Leaf shinobis on the Moon. There are some shinobis of the Sand and Mist as well" the elderly man expressed his hostility towards the three Kages. "And how could we forget this so-called Triple Entente you created behind our backs?" Onoki then questioned them.

Tsunade, Gaara and Mei all widened their eyes in hearing those words. It was very unexpected.

"Tsuchikage…..who told you about the Triple Entente?" Mei questioned him.

"Don't try to divert the subject. What's important is the fact you three have broken one of the most important oaths of the Hashirama-agreement! So you still don't trust us, is that how it is!?" A expressed his hostility towards the three Kages.

"Apparently, you have been misinformed, A" Gaara spoke up, his voice as calm in spite of these war of words. "The Triple Entente is no military alliance. It is a cooperation between our agencies in dealing with crime throughout the world, including by our borders. It wasn't formed to spy on other hidden villages" the Fifth Kazekage insisted to him.

"He speaks the truth" Tsunade spoke up in support of her counterpart from the Sand Village. "The purpose of the Triple Entente is to investigate and combat crime and corruption. Recently, we had heard numerous rumors of human trafficking happening in the seas, including the one between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning. However, we only investigated the sea near the Land of Water. You both realize how we needed to do it in secrecy" she went on explaining the meaning behind the Triple Entente.

"And yet you never bothered letting us know of this little cooperation of yours?" Onoki firmly questioned him with nothing but dispassion. "I have to say, I am deeply disappointed in you" the Tsuchikage expressed his opinions on the matter.

A was growing very agitated in what he was hearing. "You all think you can question me for breaking the Hashirama-agreement when you do it yourself? I won't stand for such insolence!" the Raikage barked.

Mei knew things were about to get ugly. "Calm yourself, A. You are only destroying yourself by antagonizing us. There are other ways to settle this" the Mizukage informed him.

"Hold your tongue, Mizukage! It is you who is at risk here!" A hit back at her.

"Agreed. You along with Gaara and Tsunade conspired together to betray us! Weren't we all comrades a couple of yours ago against the Akatsuki!?" Onoki joined in on the accusations.

Tsunade was growing more agitated by hearing this argument taking place. It went tit for tat between the Five Kages. She knew how this would only result in. "Enough of this, Raikage and Tsuchikage! We are in a crisis here! Therefore, we can't allow ourselves to be divided by mere disputes!" the Fifth Hokage bellowed to the stubborn men, thus catching their attention. She eventually fixed her eyes upon both A and Onoki. "How about the two of you start focusing on what really matters here instead of acting so sanctimonious? Put the interests of your villagers ahead of your own. In that way, you will realize what is truly at stake here!" the blonde-haired woman added to her "advice" to the stubborn Kages.

Neither A nor Onoki were pleased to hear this, yet A was perhaps the one who was calmest to Tsunade's words. But it didn't take long before the Fourth Raikage replied to the Hokage's words.

"We DO understand the gravity of the situation, Tsunade. As such, we of the Cloud Village will deal with this incoming threat on our own terms. Therefore, we will destroy the Moon! And there is nothing you can do to sway me!" A gave her his answer.

Onoki nodded his head in return. "The Raikage speaks the truth. Given that we both understand how serious this is, we will support his decision to destroy the Moon. The Stone Village's proud defenders are more than capable of standing up to these giant boulders that will emerge out of the Moon's destruction. We are not to be underestimated" the elderly man said, speaking in favor of A's actions.

Now that he had told everything, A felt no longer the need to keep this conversation ongoing. "Then it's settled. Once the Moon nears our world…WE WILL DESTORY IT WITH OUR CHAKRA CANNONS! NO MORE DELAYS!" the Raikage declared before exiting this conversation.

The Tsuchikage was quick to join him, but not before sharing some final words with his fellow Kages. "I warned you all, didn't I? That keeping secrets to yourselves would only risk damaging our trust further. Let us hope you realize the error of your ways!" Onoki said and his screen was shut off.

All that remained now was Tsunade, Mei and Gaara. They were each thinking about how difficult this situation had become, now that the Triple Entente had been exposed to the other hidden villages.

"This has to be a joke…." Tsunade said before raising her voice. "WHO IN THE HELL LEAKED OUT INFO TO THOSE TWO!?" she angrily demanded, slowly starting to lose her cool.

"How should we know? This was something only our villages were aware of!" Mei blurted out, the azure-eyed woman slowly starting to feel more distressed by the minute. "But let's focus on finding about that later, we need to do anything in our power to make sure our forces on the Moon gets home safely" the Mizukage informed her counterparts.

"Agreed. Let us try and contact the Moon Expedition as soon as possible. Naruto and the others must be informed about A's destructive methods" Gaara insisted.

Tsunade nodded her head firmly and glanced up to the satellite near her location. "My sentiments, exactly. There is no time to waste" the blonde-haired woman agreed with what the Kazekage said and turned her attention to two of those shinobis that was near the satellite. "Kotetsu. Izumo. Get that satellite operational! We will make contact with the Moon Expedition and let Naruto know of how time is short" the Hokage commanded them.

"YES MA'AM!" the two friends said in unison and started working on the satellite.

Tsunade was approached by Shizune, Kakashi and Kurenai, all of them looking up towards the incoming Moon. Time was short, and they needed to find a way to save the Moon Expedition from A's crazed idea. Hopefully, they would succeed before it was too late.

* * *

 _Somewhere outside Toneri's castle, the Moon_

The battle was continuing on the Moon. Having disrupted the wedding ceremony, the Moon Expedition was trying to evacuate the Hyuugas from their ruthless captor: Toneri Otsutsuki. But they had been interrupted by the arrival of a gigantic golem. It sought to destroy their plans. Luckily, Naruto and Sasuke rose up to the challenge and began fighting the golem, trying to get it far away from the castle as possible.

Because of the Energy Vessel being destroyed, the Moon's environment had turned into nothing but a barren wasteland. The skies had blackened with stars. Even so, fighting the golem proved to be a challenge for two strong shinobis of the Leaf such as Naruto and Sasuke, despite using Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and Susanoo respectively.

While they had succeeded in bringing it away from the rest of the Moon Expedition, defeating it proved to be more difficult than either of them had imagined. Each time they managed to cut one of it's arms, it just kept regenerating itself. As such, the golem was giving them both a headache.

"Shit! How long does it take before that things stops regenerating!?" Sasuke scowled as he observed the golem regain its right arm. It proceeded to jump towards the duo, only for them to avoid getting crushed underneath it. It was stunning how fast it could move despite being made out of rock. That was probably due to the gravity that existed on the Moon.

As Naruto and Sasuke were trying to figure out a way to defeat the golem, they could hear an evil voice calling out to them. It came from the golem, yet it was not the one speaking. Whatever it was, that voice continued to haunt the two powerful shinobis, especially since it was chuckling to deeply to himself.

"Your efforts are hopeless. You cannot succeed" it spoke so deeply and evilly at the same time. "Your future lies in the abyss of torment. Embrace it fully" it added.

Naruto gritted his teeth in what he was seeing. "You hear that voice, Kurama? It's as if that golem is trying to talk with us. What is it really saying?" he asked the Tailed Beast that lived inside of him.

Kurama's voice invaded Naruto's thoughts once again. "I do not know the answer to that yet, Naruto. But from what I cant tell…..the essence that flows within it…..reminds me of the one that I felt from the Sage of the Six Paths himself" the Nine-Tailed Fox answered Naruto as honest as he could.

"You don't say" Naruto remarked, still feeling slightly distressed over the fact how the golem stubbornly kept challenging them. "But we can't give up just yet. There's gotta be a way to dispose of that thing" the blonde-haired man added, still holding onto hope.

He was not alone. Sasuke was having similar thoughts with regards to defeat the golem. But the raven-haired man was now observing the environment they all found themselves standing in, as well as the level of gravity in the area. He even looked to his left and saw the Earth. Sasuke turned his attention to Naruto, wondering if his friend knew what he was thinking.

Tuns out, Naruto understood Sasuke's observations. To signal his understanding, his Nine-Tailed Fox form even gave him a thumb up gesture to prove it. Inside the fox, Naruto found himself grinning cheekily.

Sasuke said nothing to him in return, yet he did scoff at Naruto's smugness. "Tch…...smartass" the raven-haired man said to himself, knowing how Naruto had retained his easygoing manner. "Fine. I'll go along with your plan, but only this time" Sasuke added to his statement.

Foolishly, Sasuke left himself open for the golem. Using its extraordinary powers, the golem raised boulders from the ground itself and made them rain down towards Sasuke. He soon took notice of the incoming rain of boulders and readied himself.

"SASUKE! WATCH OUT!" Naruto called out to his friend, yet Sasuke was already on the move to avoid getting crushed.

Evading the attacks, Sasuke quickly got himself an idea and proceeded to run straight towards the golem with his Susanoo. He moved his gigantic sword of black flames, intending on cutting the golem in half. But the golem itself jumped in the air, yet it didn't stop Sasuke from pursuing it. His Susanoo took off with its wings and prepared to slice off the golem in half.

"Fear. Anger. Despair. Doubt. Hatred. All will consume your soul and mind!" the evil voice came from the golem once again. "There will be nothing of you left to bury, mortal! It is a forgone conclusion. You cannot deny it" it added, attempting to dissuade Sasuke from attacking it.

Despite hearing these taunts and threats, the raven-haired man wasn't intimidated to say at least. He proceeded with carrying out his move on the golem. A smirk even crept on his lips.

"Hmm…maybe…...but I CAN make a grave out of you!" he retorted back and swung the long blade belonging to his Susanoo. Sasuke was successful in cutting the golem in a vertical fashion. And the golem was steadily losing his lower half. "How is that for cutting embracing your fear?" Sasuke tauntingly asked the creature of rock.

The golem was furious over what he had been reduced to and he tried to regain back his lower half. But there was more threats the golem failed to predict. Once Sasuke had slashed the golem, he made way for Naruto to fire his Tailed Beast Bomb out of Kurama's mouth. The golem was too slow to react to Naruto's attack.

"HERE YOU GO, BASTARD! TAILED BEAST BOMB!" Naruto yelled as he and Kurama fired the ball of Chakra at the partly severed golem. It got taken by Naruto's attack and basted off into space.

The golem desperately tried to overpower the attack, but it was a futile move. The Tailed Beast Bomb exploded and the golem was reduced to nothing but smaller pieces of boulders. But since they were out in the space, they couldn't return to the Moon's atmosphere. As such, they began drifting out to the unknown.

With that taken care off, Naruto and Sasuke deactivated their respective forms and watched as the boulders the golem consisted of disappeared from their view. They eventually turned their attentions to the Earth. The two friends had to admit that it was fascinating to watch the world from a place such as the Moon.

"Man, the Earth looks pretty from up here" Naruto remarked to Sasuke, his eyes never leaving sight of the round ball. Sasuke didn't open his mouth to reply. He had already so many thoughts in his mind. Even so, Naruto didn't seem to pay heed to it. He understood Sasuke's reasons.

"Can't say I don't agree with you" Sasuke finally spoke up, thus ending his silence. Now that he was alone with Naruto, it gave him an opportunity to talk things through with the blonde-haired man about certain things, including what had transpired lately. "Naruto. There is something I want to ask of you. Do you mind we take it here now?" he asked his friend.

Naruto nodded his head, starting to feel more than curious to know what Sasuke wanted from him. In fact, it was probably the first time he had ever done something like this. Even so, Naruto was willing to listen.

"As much as it pains me to keep you away from my problems, I must please ask that you stay out of my way once we fight Saizo. Can you leave him to me?" Sasuke asked his longtime friend, with Naruto slightly stunned in what he was hearing. "I'm not asking you let me save Saizo. All I want, is to close this chapter of my family. I may have not known about Saizo's real life, but I will always remember the boy me and my older brother grew up with. He still means something to me. While he must hate a lot of people, it is my parents he hates the most. And now that they're dead, he wishes to take out his resentment towards me. That is why only I alone can face him" Sasuke explained his reasons, his voice still bearing a hint of sadness within it.

Naruto raised an eyebrow in surprise, wondering whether Sasuke was speaking from the bottom of his heart or not. But the more Naruto listened, the more he understood the merit in Sasuke's suggestion.

"I understand your feelings, Sasuke. And while I would normally object to something like this, I see no reason to butt in. But remember, what Saizo has done as a shinobi is a great stain upon the way of the shinobis. The human trafficking, the wedding crash and the murders. Those things alone make me more than willing to go after him. I hope you understand that as well" the blonde-haired man told Sasuke, trying to remind him about what he stood for.

Sasuke weakly nodded his head in return. "I haven't forgotten them, Naruto. As such, I will confront him about those acts. They are inexcusable" he assured Naruto, who seemed more than happy to hear those words.

Naruto proceeded to look to his left and saw nothing but the endless barren landscape that existed on the Moon. "Now them, maybe we should….." Naruto was interrupted by a voice calling to him and Sasuke from behind.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" the two friends turned around to see Sakura approach them alongside Ino, Lee, Shino and many of their other friends. Behind them was the entire Hyuuga clan, who had managed to be evacuated by the Moon Expedition. Sakura ran up to her two teammates, her expression filled with brightness. "You two did it! That golem won't be a bother to us anymore!" she expressed her admiration of them both.

Naruto only chuckled nervously while scratching the back of his head, while Sasuke only exchanged nods with her. The two shinobis had taken notice of the Hyuugas who had followed them to this desolate place. Still, something was amiss.

"Wait….where's Hinata…..and Kiba?" Naruto took notice of how they were not present.

"That's what we came here for" Shino said as he stepped up alongside Shikamaru, Lee and other leading figures in the Moon Expedition. "When we searched the room the Tenseigan once stood, we saw neither of them. But we could spot a hole in the wall. We're afraid that Toneri has done something to Kiba and Hinata" the man with sunglasses informed them.

"Then we shouldn't stand here doing nothing!" the angry voice came from Hiashi, who was still distressed over the fact that Hinata was not with him. "HINATA IS IN TROUBLE AND SHE NEEDS TO BE FOUND!" he snapped, only for Tokuma Hyuuga to hold him back.

"Lord Hiashi! Please show some restraint!" the Hyuuga clansman begged him.

But everyone in the group snapped once they could hear the sound of a large explosion. It came from a different direction, to the south of were the they were standing. Because of that, the ground beneath them began shaking a little.

"What the hell just happened!?" Shikamaru asked as he almost felt himself losing his composure due to the shaking.

"Is it that golem again? But Naruto and Sasuke just defeated it!" Lee wondered, he also feeling astounded by this turn of events.

"Whatever it is, it came from that direction!" Ino told everyone, the blondie already eying towards the south.

She was soon joined by others in the group, including Tokuma and his fellow Hyuugas, Iroha, Ko and Hoheto. They had all activated their Byakugans, hoping to get a better view of what to see in that direction. The others hoped that they would at least be able to identify something.

"Have you detected something?" Yamato asked Tokuma, since he was standing close to him.

Tokuma shook his head as a no. "Not so far. The distances are much longer than what I originally anticipated" he replied while resuming his surveying.

"Hold on! I sense something!" Ko suddenly intercepted as he did indeed take notice of what was over there. "There is an incredible amount of Chakra. And its very powerful indeed. Its without a doubt Toneri Otsutsuki. I recognize that Chakra of his" the Hyuuga informed everyone.

"But what is he doing over there?" Naruto asked him, yet he and the others was given an answer from Iroha this time.

"I have detected two sources of Chakra, yet I can't verify who the first one is. But the second is, without question, Lady Hinata's" Iroha spoke up, facing both Hiashi and Hanabi as they were stunned to hear it.

Everyone snapped, as they knew what Iroha's observation meant. "But if Hinata's there then that means…." Chouji was slightly beginning to understand the situation.

"Kiba is there is as well!" Shino spoke up, starting to sound out beetles from the right sleeve of his jacket. "My insects will pinpoint the exact location of those two. I secretly managed to plant some of them on Akamaru's fur. Hopefully, they haven't been scratched off" he told everyone in what he had done.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT DAMN INUZUKA AND HIS MUTT! HINATA NEEDS TO BE RESCUED!" Hiashi yelled furiously at the Moon Expedition's members. But surprisingly, he felt himself getting a hard slap on his cheek by someone who had enough guts to do that: Ko. It was quite hard, yet the slap made Hiashi snap out of his frustrations.

Ko faced his superior angrily, his fellow Hyuugas stunned by what he just did to him. "Ko! What do you think you're…"Hoheto was stopped by an angry Ko looking over his shoulder to face him.

"SHUT UP! I'M NOT GONNA STAND HERE AND LET THIS OLD MAN CONTINUE TO ACT SO SELF-RIGHTEOUS TOWARDS EVERYONE!" Ko snapped at Hoheto before continuing to glare at Hiashi. "YEAH! I DID IN FACT SLAP YOUR CHEEK JUST NOW. BUT FOR A GOOD REASON, LORD HIASHI! YOU'RE SO ARROGANT!" he then yelled at the clan head.

So far, Hiashi had not opened his mouth to say anything, yet the expression with his mouth could tell he was angered over what Ko had just done to him. None of the Hyuugas unrelated to the ruling family had been brave enough to take a stand against him in the past. Ko was probably the first one.

"What is the meaning of this, Ko…..YOU DARE ASSAULT YOUR SUPERIOR!?" Hiashi was now filled with furious anger towards the clansman. He even stood in his fighting stance, ready to actually attack Ko, despite him being blind. "EVEN WITHOUT MY EYES, I AM MORE THAN CAPABLE OF PUNISHING YOU!" the middle-aged man then declared his intent on combating Ko.

Despite seeing Hiashi like this, Ko was not intimidated. He never backed down from this confrontation. "You think I did that because I wanted to!? You're wrong! I did that for Lady Hinata's sake!" he told him. The moment Hiashi heard the name, his expression softened. He even laid down his guard. This could only mean one thing: Ko's words had started to take affect on the Head of the Hyuuga clan. Ko was still not finished speaking to him. "That's right! For being her father, you really are oblivious to Lady Hinata's state of happiness, Lord Hiashi. And I know that I alone can't change you. Hopefully, your daughter will" Ko told him and proceeded to run towards the distance where the explosion came from.

Naruto smiled as he saw that. "Alright everyone! Let's move out! Hinata and Kiba can't be far away from us!" the blonde-haired man called out to everyone, and they began running towards the same direction Ko was heading.

Hiashi remained still as people around him began moving. But with the help of both Tokuma and Iroha, he began moving. The rest of the Moon Expedition was moving out as well. As he walked, Hiashi couldn't help but to think about the words Ko had said to him. A part of him just wanted to punch the young clansman straight in his face. But another part of him began to think about something that was more important: Hinata.

* * *

 _Somewhere on the Moon_

Toneri Otsutsuki had battled Kiba Inuzuka and his partner Akamaru on the desolate wastes of the Moon. While the young Inuzuka had indeed many talented attacks, they were not enough to best someone as powerful as Toneri. His master in ninjutsu, as well as his newly-acquired Kekkei Genkai, enabled him to best Kiba and render him almost lifeless.

But Kiba had informed Toneri about a terrible truth. It was centered around the fact that Hinata was no virgin. He had revealed to his enemy about their brief intimacy together. This had caused panic inside Toneri. But at the same time, it had also caused rage to brew inside. As such, he angrily impaled Kiba with a spear created from his Chakra. Despite the serious allegations, Toneri refused to believe that he was telling him the truth.

Toneri's worries only increased when Hinata herself intervened in the minute before he could deliver the final blow to Kiba. The bluenette was angry and for some reason, she had managed to grab hold of Toneri's spear without any problems. Hinata had even broken it.

The azure-eyed man had backed away from Hinata, still stunned over the fact she had prevented him from killing Kiba. He had yet to find out what the reason was. But now she had also developed a rebellious attitude towards him. And as if that wasn't enough, a strange Chakra could be felt all around Hinata. For some reason, this reminded Toneri about someone.

"You defeating me?" Toneri asked Hinata, wondering what had gone through her head. "Clearly you are in over your head, Hinata. Why would you attack your future husband? You know how rude that is" the white-haired man told her.

Hinata was growing furious in hearing Toneri's words. "Enough of your nonsense! As I just made it clear, I will be the one who defeats you! With my family safe from your clutches, I'm free to do whatever it takes to stop you!" she told him firmly, standing her guard in front of her enemy. "And for the record, you seem to have misjudged my strength. It wasn't Kiba who destroyed the Tenseigan in the first place. The one who did that…was me!" Hinata revealed to him.

Hearing this caused Toneri's azure eyes to widen in disbelief. "No way! That's impossible! How could you, a mere woman, be capable of doing something like…" Toneri's explanation was interrupted once Hinata began her move.

"Eight Trigrams Air Palm!" Hinata exclaimed and she fired a vacuum of air towards Toneri. She did that relatively fast and Toneri was too slow to even react to this unexcepted attack. Therefore, he was blown back to the wall of rock behind him, thus giving him a crashing experience.

Toneri couldn't believe in what he just experienced. "What just happened!? Was that really…Hinata's doing!? If so, how come I didn't detect it earlier!?" he wondered, starting to feel distress build within him.

Hinata remained in her fighting stance, even as Toneri got out of the wall of rock and appeared near her once again. The Hyuuga-heiress was not intending on letting her guard down in front of an enemy such as him.

Despite what she had done to him, Toneri couldn't help but to smile at her. "I must admit, that attack you pulled really caught me by surprise. Not even my Tenseigan could help me predict that move. All the more reason for why I was right in choosing you as my bride" he told her with nothing but admiration towards Hinata.

The bluenette's bright eyes only narrowed further in anger. "I'm not your bride anymore! And my heart has never belonged to you. My heart belongs to Kiba!" she retorted, growing tired over Toneri's deluded thoughts about them being a couple. Her opponent scowled in what he was hearing from her, yet Hinata was filled with bravery. She only felt the urge to continue bashing Toneri. "And more importantly, there is something I really need to tell you, "Lord" Toneri. I completely tricked you into thinking that I had not intimacy with anyone" she then revealed.

Once again, Toneri's eyes widened in shock. "No…...that's not possible….YOU ARE LIYING! STOP COMING UP WITH THESE FALSE FACTS!" he told her.

Hinata was not quitting just yet. "Nothing I said is false! I'm telling you the truth. And I can tell by just looking at you…...you actually think it's real. To my understanding, Otsutsukis are capable of seeing through one's lies" she told him, surprisingly forming a smug smile beneath her lips. "That leads me to two conclusions to your way of handling this. Either you must be the most clueless Otsutsuki that exists in the universe…..or you're still in denial about the fact that you got fooled by this "mere" woman you so wanted to marry!" Hinata laid out her hypothesis for what Toneri was doing.

When he heard those words, Toneri's mind went completely blank. It was as if he was losing his composure. Toneri could feel his entire body sweat, from his face to his toes. The view of Hinata standing there with both bravery and confidence only made the situation much stressful for the white-haired man.

Still, Toneri had his eyes on someone. It was Kiba, who was still lying on his back in this critical condition of his. This gave Toneri an cunning and ruthless idea. "So…..you think you can outsmart me…" Toneri said lowly, his right hand glowing with Chakra. Hinata took notice of this and stood her guard, expecting Toneri to come after her. "Then let's see if you are still cocky when I get to dispose…..THAT MISERABLE BEAST!" the white-haired man yelled and he threw a ball of Chakra straight towards Kiba, throwing it past Hinata.

Hinata froze in seeing how fast the ball was going. She was too slow to even react or shove the ball away. Looking over her shoulder, shrieked in seeing how Toneri was planning on finishing Kiba off. But in the minute the ball of Chakra could land on Kiba's injured body, someone intervened just in time to swat it away with an enormous amount of orange Chakra. As such, Toneri's ball was sent flying away to the space.

Toneri became furious over what he was seeing. "WHAT!? WHO THE HELL JUST INTERFERED!?" he angrily demanded, only to calm himself once he could see none other than Naruto standing before Kiba. He had already activated his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. Toneri narrowed his azure eyes in return. "You again? And finally showing your true form. The power of the Nine-Tailed Fox is indeed astounding. It serves you well, Jinchuuriki" he then remarked.

Naruto only huffed in return. "Don't call me Jinchuuriki. I actually have a name, which you apparently seem to have forgotten" he reprimanded Toneri. Hinata immediately smiled brightly in seeing Naruto standing there, and Naruto's gaze met hers. They both exchanged friendly nods.

"Naruto! You're here…." Hinata couldn't express her happiness in seeing one of her closest friends standing near her. She could also notice Kiba still struggling. "Thank you so much for saving Kiba. I failed to notice that ball" the bluenette thanked him.

Naruto grinned smugly in return. "No worries, Hinata. I'm glad me and the rest of guys were near you so that I could intervene just in time. But then again, you really showed something with that move you pulled on Toneri" he replied friendly, expressing his admiration of Hinata's abilities.

Hinata was confused in what he was hearing. "What do you mean by…" Hinata asked, only to snap in surprise as she could see the rest of the Moon Expedition standing above the crater. But it was her clan and family Hinata was more concentrated on, especially her father and younger sister. "Father….Hanabi….." she uttered out lowly, as she could see the frowns on their faces.

Naruto nodded his head in return. "That's right, we were able to hear everything that was said between you and Toneri. But don't worry, Hinata. Be strong. There's nothing to be ashamed of the choices you have done" the blonde-haired man told her.

While the Hyuuga-heiress was unsure about it at first, she eventually got hold of it, as she watched Kiba struggle. Hinata nodded her head firmly and turned around to face Toneri.

"Naruto. I shouldn't normally do this, but I have a favor to ask of you" she told him.

"Anything" Naruto replied, happy to help out his childhood friend.

Hinata readied her fighting stance, intending on confronting Toneri. "Please, make sure that Kiba and Akamaru are protected. I can't afford to lose more friends in battle. In the meantime, I have some unfinished business with Toneri. After everything he has done…there is no way I will ever let him get away with that misery he has brought upon me and my family!" the bluenette declared, a fiery passion burning within her once again.

Instead of rushing to stop her, Naruto remained fine with her desire. He fully understood Hinata's resentment towards Toneri, as well as the pain he had caused. Furthermore, he could also see how dire the conditions Kiba and Akamaru were in. This was no time to act arrogant. Naruto knew what the right thing to do was.

"You have my word, Hinata. Go get him. We both know you can do it. I'll make sure that heartless bastard won't lay a finger on upon Kiba or Akamaru. Rest assured, they'll be fine" Naruto said to Hinata and motioned for Sakura, Ino and Karin to come down and look at the Inuzuka-duo's injuries. They were not the only ones. Sasuke, Shino, Shikamaru, Chouji and Lee also jumped down to form a circle around the injured. It was as if they were protecting them. "You know what to do Hinata. We're rooting for ya! Everyone is!" Naruto added to Hinata, lifting his thumb while smiling at the bluenette.

Normally, Hinata would blush in embarrassment over hearing her former crush say something like this. But this time, she didn't. Hinata had grown to understand Naruto more as a friend, as well as conquer her awkwardness in terms of feelings. Instead, she bowed her head towards Naruto in a formal manner.

"Thank you, Naruto. I won't let you down. I swear to it!" Hinata thanked him and the rest of her friends before resuming her confrontation with Toneri.

Kiba, who had been observing what was happening around him, slowly began to move his body. He tried to raise up, only to wince in pain. "What's goin'…..ARGHHHHHHH!" Kiba felt the pain all around him.

"Stay down, Kiba! Don't move a muscle. At this rate, you're so critically injured that a single movement can cause pain. Please, let us do the job" Sakura firmly explained to him.

As much as he wanted to open his mouth, Kiba didn't have energy to so much as speak. Sakura was right. He was almost immobilized. The young Inuzuka did in fact look past the kunoichis and watched as Hinata was ready to confront the man who had almost succeeded in killing him.

"Hinata…." Kiba uttered lowly to himself.

"You better lay back and watch, Kiba" the brown-haired man could hear Naruto speaking to him. "Believe it or not, Hinata's stronger than you realize. Never forget that" Naruto added to his words.

Kiba didn't say or do anything in return. He decided to actually lay back and let the kunoichis treat his injuries. Meanwhile, he would observe and watch as the woman he loved demonstrate her true strength as a fighter.

As Toneri watched Kiba getting protected by his friend, the white-haired man only scowled with displeasure. "Tch…bothersome insects. You will pay for interfering" he expressed his displeasure in what he was seeing. Once again, he tried to launch an attack upon Kiba, but this time he was also targeting those around him. "If you wish to stand in my way, then I will…." Toneri paused once he could feel somebody grip his right hand, thus cancelling his move. It was Hinata!

"Quit threatening my friends. You're fighting me, not them" Hinata told him.

Toneri backed away a bit from the bluenette, being in complete shock over what Hinata had just done. "Such speed….but how!?" he angrily demanded and watched as Hinata stood her guard against him.

"I promised my friends that I would defeat you for what you had done. And I intend on keeping that promise" Hinata declared.

Seeing this only enraged Toneri further. "Insolent woman. You should know better than to speak against your future husband!" he retorted and began forming a green orb on his right hand. He then moved towards her. "It seems to me that I have to resort to drastic measures. No matter. You WILL submit to me!" he declared and moved right close to Hinata's face.

Everyone was worried. They had seen Toneri done that to Hinata before, during his intrusion in the Leaf Village. That orb was meant to weaken his enemies, especially Hyuugas. Hinata had felt for it before. Would she do it again? Toneri moved the orb close to Hinata, especially near face. Hinata remained standstill, something which pleased Toneri.

"There. You will finally let go of your delusions, Hinata. Become my possession again!" Toneri told the bluenette.

For a minute, Hinata was feeling silent for a moment. But that soon changed once she lowered her head and smiled smugly. This confused Toneri. "No. I'm not" she told him.

The azure-eyed man wondered what the deal was. "Huh? What are you saying? You are supposed to stop resisting me. Why are you still holding onto these foolish…." Toneri was in for a surprise, as he felt an attack land right on his chest.

"I'M NOT YOUR POSSESSION!" Hinata yelled, her handpalm pushed hard against her enemy's chest, thus sending him flying to the wall of rock once again. The bluenette was growing more tired of Toneri by the minute, and she even walked towards the wall of rock.

Toneri had experienced a painful crash against this wall. Yet that was the least of his worries. Returning to his senses, he watched as Hinata stood there, ready to combat him once again. Toneri was outraged. His Chakra Orb had failed to subdue her.

"Damn it…..DAAAAAMN IIIIIIIIIT!" Toneri roared as he watched her. "Why has my powers been rendered useless against you!?" he wondered, until something hit in his head. "No…..it cannot be…..this Chakra that flows within you….it once belonged to…" Toneri was slowly starting to grasp what Hinata was doing.

Hinata firmly nodded her head, even curving her lips into a smirk as she did that. "Now you finally believe me? Took you long enough" she said. "And yes, it is as you say. This Chakra did indeed belong to your ancestor: Hamura Otsutsuki" she then revealed to him.

"I don't understand any of this….." Toneri uttered out lowly. "How did you gain his power!? There is no way my ancestor would ever bless a mere woman such as you to carry his power! It's absurd!" he added.

"You're wrong! Hamura gave lent me his power for a reason: he wanted me to stop you!" Hinata snapped back at him. "And for the last time, stop calling me a mere woman! I'm more than that!" she yelled as she ran towards Toneri in her unusual fast speed.

Toneri, who didn't want to hold back, only responded in kind. This time, he felt more than obliged to physically harm Hinata for what she had obtained. The very thought about Hinata using Hamura's powers infuriated him. As they clashed, the ground beneath them began to shake. Rocks started blowing off the ground.

"So that means you were the one that destroyed the Tenseigan..…..as well as assaulted me in the wedding hall…" Toneri spoke, as he was trying to overpower Hinata.

"Yes! And I regret nothing! The only thing that I do regret is that I didn't do them sooner!" Hinata snapped at him.

Toneri became furious, and this time, his anger took complete control over him. "Then that also means you did in fact mate with that foul beast! You are no virgin! You little bitch! Whore! Tramp! Slut! How dare you lie to me!?" he spat at her. He was also ready to attack her with his right handpalm.

Despite hearing all those hurtful slangs, Hinata continued with the fighting. Mere words were never going to break her again. Seeing Toneri's handpalm made her realize that something had to be done. Therefore, she would meet the challenge.

"You shut your moth! I never belonged with you to begin with! Not even close!" Hinata retorted and used her handpalm to meet Toneri's.

This resulted in a powerful clash, something which sent shockwaves throughout the area they were standing on. Boulders began to levitate. Both Hinata and Toneri were send to different directions because of the clash. Still, it didn't mean the fight was over. As such, they continued with the fight.

* * *

 _Somewhere on Earth, near the Land of Wind_

As the world was dealing with chaos and disorder in wake of this crisis, not every people on Earth was feeling as distressed as the others. In fact, someone sinister was watching the events unfold in the darkness. This was a certain individual who had taken notice of not only the situation throughout the world, but also on the Moon as well. This man was sitting on a chair of gold while musing to himself over what he had done. What could be seen was the golden opera mask he was wearing, as well as his spikey, sandy-blonde hair. Beneath the mask lied a cunning smile.

"So…...it has already begun. The leaking to the Tsuchikage and Raikage worked perfectly…...just as I had foreseen. Because of the alliance between the Leaf, Sand and Mist Villages being exposed, my operations will remain undisturbed for now" the man said while chuckling deeply. It was true. This was the man responsible for leaking intel about the Triple Entente's actions to both Onoki and A. But who was that person? And why was he behaving so sanctimonious in face of what threat the world was in for? He did not seem to have any fears. "In any event, all that we need to do is to watch and see how things will unfold from now on. Rest assured, things will end up in my favor" this man added before letting out a laugh.

Suddenly, he was approached by some of his servants, which seemed to be shinobis wearing hooded capes that were, black, gold and white. They all kneeled before him in respect.

"Golden Dragon, your associates from the Island of Tides have informed you about what is currently happening on the Moon. The expedition led by that miserable Naruto Uzumaki have engaged with Toneri Otsutsuki. They will begin their move as soon as possible" the man wearing the golden hooded cape spoke up, his voice very familiar.

A chuckle could be heard from this mysterious Golden Dragon. "Excellent. Then that means "he" will be freed from his prison soon enough. Then, we will see whether this Naruto Uzumaki is as strong as people think he is" he said, yet he was not finished speaking to this man. "Say, you happen to share a bad history with that Jinchuuriki, don't you….Mizuki Touji?" he then questioned the man, as he began removing his golden hood.

Yes, this man was indeed none other than Mizuki Touji, a former chuunin of the Leaf Village, but not just any ordinary chuunin. This was the same person who had attempted to steal the Scroll of Seals. He also worked at the Academy as an instructor once, especially during Naruto's years as a genin. It was Mizuki who had revealed the secret about the Nine-Tailed Fox to Naruto, and how it lived inside of him. He almost succeeded in killing Naruto, only for Iruka Umino, his former classmate, to save him. Afterwards, Mizuki was defeated by Naruto and banished from the Leaf Village.

Mizuki only gritted his teeth in anger as he heard Naruto's name. "Naruto…that son of a bitch…" he lowly cursed while speaking it.

How he ended up becoming a servant of this Golden Dragon remains a mystery. But all things considered, the Golden Dragon was one of the men responsible for the human trafficking operations that had been happening around the world lately. And there was no question about the fact that he was an associate with the other known dragons: the Crimson Dragon, the Azure Dragon and the Ebon Dragon. But who the Golden Dragon really was, remained to be answered.

"Anyway, once that thing is set free from his prison, we will wait until either Naruto or even Sasuke Uchiha has managed to defeat it. Then, I shall get hold of it's benefits" the Golden Dragon said as he mused to himself in how smart this plan of his was. But he was also starting to think about his associates, especially the Crimson Dragon. "I'm terribly sorry for this Saizo Uchiha. While I wish we could spend more time as partner, the time has passed. I am sure you have your own goals for this world. But I will not lift a finger to stop you. Yes, I will let others have the honor of doing it. But then again, you could have spent the rest of your lives alongside me in this golden paradise. Oh well, people always have their own objectives" the man concluded as he spoke of his associates.

What this man's plans were remained a mystery. But apparently, he had his own motives for spreading distrust between the Five Great Hidden Villages. In that, he was successful and didn't seem to have the slightest of regret in doing so. That only meant he could carry on with his trafficking business as usual. The Golden Dragon rose from his seat and a symbol could be seen. It looked like the symbol $, except for the fact that it lied in a horizontal state. What did it symbolize?

The Golden Dragon looked up to the Moon, finding himself grinning with satisfaction. "In time…...we will make our move. When that time comes, all will know the power and fame of the Village Hidden in the Gold" the mysterious person announced, feeling proud over the village he had created.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Authors' note: That was a great chapter. I wanted to the people on Earth some role here, especially with the news being leaked about the Triple Entente. That will only put relations between the Five Great Hidden Villages at risk once again. And back on the Moon, we watched as Naruto and Sasuke dealt with the golem. Also, we got to see how Hinata was making her first moves against Toneri. Yes, all of you expected Hinata to be shy and nervous, but that would only make her the same damsel in distress as Kishimoto made her out to be in the manga. What I wanna show here is how she can be a hero, similar to Sakura. I'm surprised she remained the same in The Last: Naruto the Movie. Anyway, the next chapter will be focused on the Moon, most importantly, the fight between Toneri and Hinata. And yes, we are introduced to an accomplice of the three hooded dragons: the Golden Dragon. But who is he, really? We will know more about him and the Village Hidden in the Gold (Kingakure in Japanese). As the story progresses, we will delve more into who he is, and how he plays a role into the human trafficking happening across the world.**


	27. The Warrior Princess

**Author's note: This chapter will continue our focus on the Moon, as well as the fight between Hinata and Toneri. Other things that will be touched upon, you just have to read and see. But then again, expect this Hinata to not be the same shy type, as well as major revelations with regards to the ongoing crisis. And yes, the title of this chapter is inspired by Xena: Warrior Princess. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: The Warrior Princess**

 _Somewhere near Toneri Otsutsuki's castle, the Moon_

The fight between Hinata Hyuuga and Toneri Otsutsuki had truly begun. Toneri, unable to grasp the fact that his ancestor had bestowed some of his powers to Hinata, attacked her furiously. He still refused to believe the truth, instead claiming she had stolen the powers. However, Toneri was now beginning to accept the truth about Hinata, especially with regards to her allegiances to him. She was no virgin, as well as the one responsible for the destruction of the Tenseigan. Furthermore, Hinata was now immune to his Chakra Orb. The harsh truth only infuriated Toneri on the inside, and he had attempted to finish off Kiba, only for Naruto and the rest of Hinata's friends to prevent him from accomplishing it.

Toneri had succeeded in pushing Hinata backwards. But that didn't mean the bluenette was giving up on the fight so easily. Toneri used his fast speed to distract Hinata, yet she remained calm and stood her ground. She made perfectly sure not to leave herself wide open for her opponent.

So far, the white-haired man was only toying with her. He had used his speed, yet never tried to directly assault Hinata. Still, Hinata knew she couldn't afford to underestimate him. He had yet to demonstrate his true powers acquired by the Tenseigan.

"I simply can't understand your defiance" Toneri spoke, still trying to distract Hinata with his speed, only to vanish before he could even land a punch on her. "Why do you even bother resisting me? The fate of your world has been sealed. The Earth will be destroyed. Mankind will receive their punishment. So what makes you think you can prevail against me?" he questioned his opponent, finding it hard to believe the bluenette could win against him in a match.

Hinata realized that Toneri was still not taking her seriously. It only made her boil with irritation. "Go ahead! Underestimate me!" she dared him, in an effort to taunt Toneri's pride as a fighter. "I remember an old saying: those who underestimates a kunoichi are not only embarrassing themselves, they're also exposing themselves as desperate losers" Hinata then said, recalling how both Kurenai and Tsunade had once told her about this wisdom when combating kunoichis.

Hearing this only irritated the azure-eyed man further. As such, he decided to get under Hinata's skin some more. "You are a damned fool, Hinata Hyuuga. You should consider yourself lucky to be of celestial linage such as me, let alone being offered my hand in marriage. And yet, you still choose that worthless mutt over me!" Toneri berated her angrily. Surprisingly, he decided to try something else. "But then again, I bet even your family must be sad over your decisions" Toneri told her insultingly, as if he was a snake trying to lure its prey.

When Hinata heard those words, she snapped. Her thoughts became conflicted and the bluenette began recalling the fact that no matter who she was, she was still a Hyuuga. And now, her entire clan seemed to be aware of her strong feelings for Kiba. Meanwhile, Toneri was amused by how Hinata had fallen for his trap. Unbeknowst to him, Hinata had slowly begun to be reminded of her harsh upbringing, as she was scorned by not just bullies, but from her fellow Hyuugas as well.

"No. You're wrong! I don't believe a word you say! You're nothing but a liar!" Hinata told her opponent, who was more than willing to answer the Hyuuga-heiress.

Toneri furrowed his eyebrows in return. "Am I? But my dear Hinata. Your father would disagree with what you are saying to me. The truth of the matter is that he doesn't want his eldest daughter to be married to someone as foul as an Inuzuka. And unless I am mistaking, your father said you would face consequences as a result of your intimate actions. The Hyuuga clan will never accept one of their own getting mated with an Inuzuka. Isn't that true…...HINATA HYUUGA!?" Toneri began clouding Hinata's mind once again, before proceeding to move towards the bluenette in order to attack her. Now that her guard was down, Toneri felt it was the perfect opportunity to strike at her.

It was at this moment Hinata's patience had run out. In anger, she assaulted Toneri before he could so much as land an attack on her. "SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUP!" she yelled as her handpalm landed straight on her opponent's face. This sent Toneri flying, yet he quickly got up and was ready for more. Still, Hinata had once again regained her confidence, yet something else was different with her. Gritting her teeth in anger, Hinata prepared herself for combat. "I don't care about the Hyuuga clan, or even my father for that matter! His opinions and ideals mean nothing to me! Not even a sweat!" she retorted loudly to her opponent.

The Hyuugas were stunned to hear this, but the one affected by it most was Hiashi. He couldn't believe what his eldest daughter was saying about him. "Hinata…what are you…." he said lowly.

"Lady Hinata…" Ko uttered out in disbelief.

"Big sister….." Hanabi said, finding it hard to believe the words that came out of Hinata's mouth.

"I could care less about what my father or other Hyuugas think about me! He'll never give me enough credit for anything at all! I had always hoped that my father would someday change, especially in the aftermath of the world war…but I was wrong. I was naïve to hold onto such dreamy hopes. No matter what I do, my father can never change. He just thinks about himself, as he always has!" the bluenette explained, even looking over her shoulder to see her family standing there. Her father, her younger sister, and the rest of the Hyuugas were awed in what her behavior. Hinata understood their reactions, yet she returned her focus on Toneri. "But despite what I just said, there are someone that I still care deeply about in my family. And that is my younger sister Hanabi. She along with many other proud members of the Hyuugas are what makes me feel at home with the clan, not my father. But despite how much I actually resent him, I'm still taking back his and Hanabi's eyes from you! Because I'm nothing like the arrogant and boastful Hyuugas people know us to be. I am my own kunoichi. For that, I must thank my mother, to whom I owe a great debt to. Without her love, kindness and compassion, I would've never become the kunoichi that I am today" Hinata continued her explanation.

Hinata's friends couldn't believe how Hinata had built so much confidence in herself as a kunoichi. Something had indeed changed since the last time she was forced in a fight such as this. The only ones who weren't necessarily surprised by Hinata's hidden strength were Kiba, Naruto and Shino.

But the one who was mostly shaken by her words, was Hiashi. The middle-aged man was slowly starting to recall all the memories of his past. He even thought about his childhood, when he and his twin brother Hizashi were playing and studying alongside Haya, his future wife. Even though those days were over a long time ago, Hiashi could not let go of them. By now, the Head of the Hyuuga clan was slowly beginning to realize the fact that it was never Hinata who was the failure. The only failure…was him. He had failed as a father and husband.

"Haya…brother….Neji…" Hiashi stammered, thinking about those he really missed. Even though his eyes had been taken away, Hiashi could always picture those three Hyuugas, let alone remember every detail of their appearances.

Hanabi had taken notice of her father's sad tone. "Father…..what are you….." the teenage girl had so many questions swirling inside her head, despite not being able to see.

The other Hyuugas also realized Hiashi's feelings. Right now, he was throwing his arrogance aside. It relieved them. The middle-aged man knew that he would leave it to Hinata to return him his sight, as well as Hanabi's. Rather than trying to console their leader, the Hyuugas looked to Hinata, hoping to see how she truly had grown into a powerful kunoichi.

Hinata almost ready to engage in combat, yet she felt Toneri still didn't take her seriously. "One can never decide what a woman's fate has to be. She has the power to decide on her own! That's why I have already decided about my fate and what it will be!" Hinata reminded her enemy, who was standing and listening to what was being said. "In other words….I WILL PROVE YOU HOW STRONG A WOMAN REALLY CAN BE! BYAKUGAN!" the bluenette said loudly while activating her clan's Kekkei Genkai. Perhaps then, Toneri would take her challenge for granted.

But so far, Toneri had only glanced at her with nothing but contempt in his eyes. Despite Hinata activating her Byakugan, he didn't seem intimidated. In fact, it only encouraged him to respond in kind.

"So you refuse to submit to me? Then I will make you learn your place in this universe, loathsome wench" Toneri said and activated his Tenseigan Chakra Mode. His cyan-colored Chakra covered all around him. The young man was feeling very overconfident in himself, now that he was using his newfound power. "Behold, the power of a true Otsutsuki! I feel sorry for your lack of sensibility, Hinata. Because in few seconds, you will regret standing against me!" he then tried to make Hinata lose her confidence.

But Toneri's words didn't sway Hinata. The stunning bluenette was gathering her own unique violet Chakra all around her, ready to go at it on her opponent. She would not run away from this fight, no, she wasn't that person anymore. Hinata was willing to actually clash with Toneri in a battle so serious.

"Does this mean you actually take me seriously? Then I won't go any easier on you!" Hinata taunted, trying to get under Toneri's skin.

In that moment, the two opponents vanished from their spots, and they were each headed towards one another. It was a head-on collision. But the clash didn't end the fight. Toneri and Hinata took the fight to other parts of the Moon, both testing their newfound powers in combat. It was quite a spectacle.

Toneri was floating in the air, and he created some Truthseeker Orbs around him. He then infused them with his own Chakra. Apparently, he was planning on attacking Hinata, who was running towards him as fast as she could. It was astounding how fast Hinata had become since gaining this power from Hamura. Even so, Toneri wasn't worried. It only encouraged him to get rid of Hinata's defiance.

"Think you can reach me!? Then see if you can avoid these!" Toneri exclaimed and fired his Truthseeker Orbs at the young Hyuuga.

Despite how fast these orbs were coming at her, Hinata was quick to predict their speed. The Byakugan was helping her with that, and she ran sideways in order to avoid getting hit. She was successful, but it was far from over. Toneri was preparing a new round of Truthseeker Orbs.

"Try avoiding them as much as you can! It's all but futile!" Toneri taunted his opponent as he fired. Instead of running sideways, Hinata ran straight towards Toneri. The azure-eyed man only mused to himself in seeing this. "Running straight towards my Truthseeker Orbs. Have you now resorted to risky tactics!? How laughable!" he asked while laughing at Hinata's move.

But as she was running straight towards him, Hinata couldn't help but to form a slight smug smile on her lips. She even stopped as the orbs headed straight towards her.

"Think again, Toneri!" Hinata hit back and stood in her Gentle Fist Art stance. "Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!" she then said out loud. Hinata then released a huge amount of her Chakra from all the points in her body. Because of Hamura's gift, the usage of Chakra had only increased. Since it was a defensive maneuver, Toneri's orbs were blown away, due to Hinata's Chakra blocking the attacks.

This caused Toneri's eyes to widen in anger and frustration. "What!? She just swatted away my Truthseeking Orbs as if they were nothing!" he blurted out. "Damn her! It was only a lucky shot!" Toneri added, still feeling it was too early to consider Hinata a dangerous adversary.

Hinata was done with her maneuver rotation. She proceeded to run straight towards Toneri, despite the fact that he was up in the air. But as she was running, Hinata could feel how this was taking hold on her body. And yet, Hinata refused to call it quits. She WANTED to prove to everyone, specifically her clan and Toneri, how she was indeed a powerful kunoichi.

"I won't give up. I just can't!" Hinata thought, recalling how the fate of the world depended on not just the Moon Expedition, but on her as well. Even the spirit of Hamura had begged Hinata to end Toneri's madness. "I won't let you down, Hamura Otsutsuki. That I swear to you!" the bluenette added to her thoughts, recalling what she had promised him and the other Otsutsukis.

Meanwhile, Hinata's friends were watching the clash taking place with stunning expressions. They were each surprised to see how strong and capable Hinata had gotten as a kunoichi. Ino, Tenten and even Sakura were all curious about whether she was either stronger than each of them.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Hinata sure has come a long way" Tenten uttered out in astonishment. "I mean, she used to be a girl who was so insecure about her own abilities, as well as lacking confidence in her ability as a kunoichi. But now, she's finally trying to make a stand for herself" the brunette added, amazed by Hinata's hidden strength.

Lee, who was standing beside Tenten, had to agree. "I bet there's a lot of questions regarding this change, Tenten. But when it comes to Hinata, I think we owe it to the friendships she has made over the years" Lee told her what he thought was the answer. But Lee's expression soon hardened, and for a particular reason. "But then again, fighting in a dangerous world war has hardened us all, even Hinata. We can both sympathize with her on that in regards to Neji" he then went on explaining.

Tenten's mind snapped as she was reminded about their teammate, who had died during the world war. As much as she wanted to let out a tear, she couldn't. Dwelling back on the grief was something Neji would've never done, and both Tenten and Lee knew that. The same could've been said for Guy, their sensei who also passed away when he risked himself to help defeating Madara's machinations.

"But now's not the time to dwell in the past, Lee. We have a world to say. The future demands it" Tenten told her boyfriend, who only grinned cheekily in return.

"You got it, Tenten! And so we shall!" he told her.

Shikamaru stood beside Naruto. "Hey, is it really necessary for all of us to be standing guard around Kiba like this? I mean, surely the Hyuugas could've needed some extra security" he questioned Naruto.

"Don't worry, they'll be safe with the Shadow Squad, Grim Guard and Divine Division standing near them. And don't forget, most Hyuugas are resilient fighters, they're perfectly capable of defending themselves" Naruto answered his second-in-command. He then looked at Kiba and Akamaru, who were being treated by Sakura, Ino and Karin. "And besides, I promised Hinata that no harm would come to either Kiba or Akamaru. As her friend, I intend on keeping that promise" the blonde-haired man went on to explain his reasons.

Hearing this forced Shikamaru to chuckle in amusement. "I see. Then we better not let her down" he replied in his easygoing manner.

"But are you sure it's okay for us to not help her? This Toneri-guy looks incredibly strong. I mean, just look at that Chakra!" Chouji asked his friends, starting to feel concerned about Hinata.

"Don't underestimate her, Chouji" Ino reprimanded her teammate. "I don't think you or the other boys have realized it, but Hinata's really determined to defeat Toneri. I can feel it" the blondie added, yet she resumed her task to treat Kiba's wounds.

Even though Kiba was still weakened from his fight, he still possessed enough strength to watch and feel the clash taking place across the Moon. Slowly, the usually repulsive man was starting to even admire and love Hinata more. It was because of the fact that she was much stronger than him. True, Kiba would always be angry whenever he was reminded about someone else being stronger than him, such as Naruto. But with Hinata it was different.

"Wow…you really are something, Hinata. How the hell did I fail to see it?" Kiba asked himself. "All the more reason for my attraction to you" he added, forcing himself a mischievous smirk as he said that.

Toneri and Hinata were still fighting, and they had even moved away from the crater and proceeded towards the open areas of the Moon. Although Hinata's newfound power was impressive, Toneri still found ways to outmaneuver her. Before Hinata could land a blow on him, Toneri jumped, thus avoiding the attack. While in the air, he grabbed one of his Truthseeking Balls with his right hand. With it, Toneri created a powerful silvery typhoon. And this, he fired it upon Hinata below him.  
"SILVER WHEEL REBIRTH EXPLOSION!" Toneri exclaimed as he launched this attack on Hinata.

The bluenette, who was too slow to even react, was forced down onto the solid ground. She could even feel herself getting cut due to the typhoon. Toneri was taking pleasure in seeing his opponent suffer.

"STRUGGLE ALL YOU WANT, MY TYPHOON CAN NEVER BE AVOIDED! YOU WILL BE BURIED BENEATH RUBBLES!" Toneri exclaimed, thinking he had the upper hand.

As she struggled, Hinata knew she couldn't let Toneri win. Despite the powerful typhoon forcing her onto the ground, Hinata resisted it, and she created something to counter Toneri's attack.

"Protective Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Hinata said as she created a net of sharp blades with her Chakra. She was of course facing upwards, since Toneri was still in the air. The net managed to shield Hinata against the typhoon. "I'm still standing my ground!" Hinata exclaimed towards her enemy.

Hearing this made Toneri scowl in anger. "Not for long, you annoying, little gnat!" Toneri angrily said and he dived towards Hinata, ready to assault her from above. His speed was incredible, something Hinata had to admit.

Hinata remained firm behind her net of blades, watching as Toneri created a spear with his Chakra. He then proceeded to charge towards Hinata, who was still waiting for him to come at her.

"No matter what you are capable of, I am always two steps ahead of you!" Toneri berated Hinata and proceeded to actually stab Hinata on her left shoulder, given that his speed was faster than what Hinata had originally predicted. The Hyuuga-heiress felt paralyzed, something her opponent could see. He mused to himself. "Now you realize how you and I are on different…." Toneri stopped speaking once Hinata started to thrust her palm right up Toneri's chest. Normally, it wouldn't have worked thanks to the Chakra Cloak surrounding Toneri. But by using her own Chakra, Hinata managed to pull this attack on her opponent.

"PALM HEEL STRIKE!" Hinata exclaimed, resisting the pain of getting pierced. She tried to use her other hand to continue attack, Toneri, but he caught wind of it. Toneri managed to remain firm, even though he sprouted out some level of blood from his mouth. Blocking her other attack, Toneri started engaging Hinata in hand-to-hand combat. It was quite a stalemate and each of them traded punches between each other. "I don't care how strong you are! There's no way I yield to you!" the Hyuuga-heiress declared.

Toneri's disapproval of Hinata had only increased. But since she had managed to actually hurt him, Toneri had started to grow colder towards the bluenette. As such, he felt the need to do anything in order to see his plans come to fruition. "Then you choose to die here, Hinata! A shame it has to end this way!" he spat back, grabbing one of his Truthseeker Balls. He created an orb of his Chakra. Hinata's bright eyes widened, as Toneri shoved the orb straight into her stomach. It sent her flying into the air, just as Toneri had intended to. "Now I won't be making any guarantees to you or your family anymore! You will all die!" he angrily said.

Hinata felt herself flying in the air, yet she could see the ground beneath her. Already too late to make a landing, the bluenette rolled onto the harsh terrain, biting her teeth together as she resisted the scratches on her tender skin. Once she was done, Hinata weakly opened her eyes, slowly getting upon her feet. But it was not easy. This was a fight she never had done in her entire life. During the world war, Hinata had fought alongside her friends. But now, she was facing a powerful opponent on her own.

"He really is strong…the more I pull my attacks on him, he keeps finding a way to outmaneuver me. How do I deal with something like this?" Hinata wondered, although she winced in pain as she got up on her knees. But that was not all. Hinata could feel her entire body lose balance, and even her legs were trembling. "What's happening to me? Am I starting to…doubt myself?" the bluenette then asked herself.

Toneri watched Hinata's worries in amusement. "Hmmm. It would seem to me that your brave confidence has slowly started to run out of luck" he noted.

Meanwhile, Naruto, Shikamaru, Tenten, Shino and Lee had followed the two to their location. From what they could tell, things didn't seem easy for Hinata. It worried them, especially Naruto and Shino.

"This is bad. Maybe we all underestimated Toneri's power" Tenten confessed her worries for her fellow kunoichi.

"I hate to agree with you on this, but it's true" Shino spoke up. "Frankly, I understand Hinata's wish to prove to us that she is helpful. But something tells me that this is not the right way of doing this" he went on to tell what he felt was going on.

"At any rate, we can't afford to lose more time. I mean look at the clock!" Shikamaru said while showing them the Armageddon Countdown Clock. The man with the ponytail then faced Naruto. "We don't have much time left. If Hinata does not defeat Toneri, then either you or Sasuke must step in to….." Shikamaru was interrupted by someone.

"Hey Naruto, Shikamaru! Come quick!" it was Genma Shiranui. He approached the group, mostly after to have run across the harsh landscape to reach them.

"Genma…..what's up?" Naruto asked, wondering why he was behaving in a relieved way.

A smile crept on Genma's face. "We succeeded in getting into contact with the Earth, or more specifically the Leaf Village. Lady Tsunade is on the line now! She immediately wanted to speak you the two of you this instant" the man with the senbon in his mouth told them, facing both Shikamaru and Naruto.

Hearing this made Naruto and the others smile. But only Naruto and Shikamaru stepped forward, realizing what had to be done. Lee, Shino and Tenten stood still.

"Understood. Lead us to her" Naruto said, only to look over his shoulder to face Lee and the others. "While we're gone, I want you to look after Hinata. You're not to leave this spot, understood?" the blonde-haired man gave them the order.

Despite this, they were more than happy to oblige. And Lee even gave Naruto his trademark thumb gesture in return, beaming with confidence. "We got you, Naruto. You go talk with Tsunade. And we promise you, if Hinata's in serious danger, we'll intervene to save her. That we promise you" Lee assured Naruto, who smiled with satisfaction.

"Good. Then wait here. We'll be right back" Naruto told them and both he and Shikamaru followed Genma to the place where the communication units had set up their devices.

That place was close to where the duel between Hinata and Toneri was commencing. As they arrived, a group of shinobis had already arrived at the spot. The people standing there were the two other members of the communications unit: Raido Namiashi and Aoshi Yamashiro, two members of the Shadow Squad: Sai and Asami Nakano, two members of the Grim Guard: Yukata and Mikoshi and two members of the Divine Division: Hyozan Ishiwata and Juugo. This communication device was actually a television screen, similar to the ones that existed back on Earth. On it, Tsunade could be seen waiting for Naruto and Shikamaru to show up. Sai approached the two when they arrived at the encampment.

"We're glad you came. Me, Raido and Asami have already informed Tsunade about our progress on the Moon. There's no need for you to fill her in" Sai told them with his friendly smile. The pale-skinned man looked over his shoulder to face the screen. "However, since the two of you are the captain and second-in-command of the Moon Expedition respectively, the Hokage waited to tell us about the circumstances back on Earth" he then told them.

Naruto nodded his head in understanding. "I see. Let's see what's at stake back home" Naruto replied before standing before the screen along with Shikamaru. "Grandma Tsunade. Good to see you again. You wanted to speak with us?" he began the conversation with his usual respective manner towards the Hokage.

"Yes. And while I wish I could ask how you and the others have found on the Moon, I'm afraid time is short. I believe you have watched the Armageddon Countdown Clock" Tsunade told them, always being vigilant in her speech as the Hokage.

Shikamaru nodded his head in reply. "Yeah. We agree with your sentiment. And at this rate, Hinata's struggling against Toneri. We're wasting time here" he replied to the Hokage.

"I see. And that troubles me greatly. Because I'm afraid that isn't the only thing you must be worried about. While you have been busy on the Moon, things have only gotten more complicated and dramatic here on Earth. The evacuation is a success" Tsunade informed them, her voice becoming slightly grimmer. "But both the Cloud Village and the Stone Village are willing to try and destroy the Moon before it reaches the world, even though they you all are on it right now. The Raikage proposed a vote on whether to destroy it earlier, but it the proposal was voted down. However, he now seems more than willing to destroy it with the Cloud Village's Chakra Cannons. And worse, someone has leaked intel to A and Onoki about the Triple Entente. We had succeeded in keeping its existence hidden from those two…..until now" Tsunade went one explaining what had happened.

This caused everyone to widen in shock. The cooperation was now exposed. And with leaders so stubborn as A and Onoki, who knew what would happen. But Naruto wanted to believe that despite their arrogance, there was still something good inside these two Kages. They had grown to respect him during the world war. But in times such as these, peace could not be guaranteed.

"So now that the Triple Entente has been exposed…..I assume that the Raikage will fire his cannons at the Moon when it reaches the world. But if he does that…..not only will he kill us…." Shikamaru began to see the picture, and he wasn't alone.

Naruto had done that as well. "Destroying the Moon will create giant meteorites…once that will be impossible to destroy. But not only that!" the blonde-haired man began facing Tsunade seriously. "Grandma, we can't allow that to happen. There's an important reason why the Moon must never be destroyed. If the Raikage fires those Chakra Cannons and destroys it…he'll commit a fatal mistake that will destroy our world. I can't go into futher details, but all things considered, destroying the Moon is NOT the right solution" Naruto informed the Hokage.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Then you best make haste here, Naruto. The Triple Entente can't simply prevent the Chakra Cannons from being fired by invading the Cloud Village. That will only escalate the icy relationship between us and them. From now, we're all counting on Hinata to save the world. She better not let us down" the Fifth Hokage informed them in a serious manner.

Naruto quickly nodded his head in return. "I know. We're all rooting for her. And if there's one thing that Hinata is good at, it's her loyalty to her friends. Please, Grandma Tsunade. Let us put our confidence in her. It's Hinata's turn to shine now" he pleaded to the Hokage.

As serious and determined Tsunade seemed, she couldn't help but to smile cunningly at him and the others. "Don't tell me you believe I doubt Hinata's strength. Silly Naruto, I've never done that. And please don't tell Sakura this, but Hinata's strength can be matched up with hers. Surely you understand that" Tsunade spoke up with a hint of humor in her voice.

Naruto and those around him dropped a sweat in hearing this, yet the blonde-haired man had to chuckle nervously. "Eh, I get it. But if you ever said that to Sakura, she would cry hysterically. I mean, if I did that, she would kill me for it" Naruto insisted to her.

"Let's not get drifted away from what's at stake here!" Shikamaru nudged Naruto before facing Tsunade. "Anyway, we understand the circumstances. It's all or nothing. But even if Hinata were to win, how can we be sure it will stop the Moon's movement?" he then questioned Tsunade.

"Unfortunately, that is for you to find out. Now, do what you all must. The people on Earth are counting on you. Don't let us down" those were the final words before the screen was switched off.

Naruto immediately turned around and face the distance where Hinata's duel with Toneri was taking place. Without delay, he ran towards it in fast speed. His friends were stunned in seeing how determined Naruto was in reaching that place. But they could tell that it was about Hinata.

"Hinata…you can do it…and don't just save the world for our sakes…..but for everyone's and yours included" Naruto thought while thinking about the Hyuuga he had known since childhood.

Back in the barren terrain, Toneri was taking slow steps towards Hinata. The bluenette had managed to get up on her feet. However, she felt her entire body tire out. That coupled with watching her opponent approach her only distressed her further.

"This is more difficult than what I first expected. Even now, I'm starting to believe that Toneri is more powerful than me" Hinata's thoughts were clouded with doubt. Her heart kept beating faster, and she wanted to run away as fast as she could. But something hit in her head. Hinata could remember the words Hamura had told her. Even someone as ancient as him had placed his trust behind her. And more importantly, was Hinata gonna let Toneri get away with this after all he had done to her, her family and friends? Right now, the bluenette felt ashamed of herself. Not just ashamed for forgetting the promises she had made, but also ashamed of clouding herself with these doubts. "What am I even thinking!? I made so many promises. And while I can't keep every one of them, there is one promise that I can keep. I'm not going to run away from a fight. I will stand and face my opponent with dignity. Running away is something only a child does. I'm no longer that insecure child as I was many years ago! I have to win!" Hinata then realized what had to be done. Therefore, she stood in her Gentle Fist Art stance once again.

Seeing this made Toneri stop in his tracks. He watched as his opponent stood on her guard once again. This time, he let out a deep and sadistic laugh, unable to grasp what he was seeing.

"Why don't you just give up? It doesn't matter if you carry my ancestor's Chakra! Mine is superior in any way! The fact that you fail to understand it astounds me" Toneri expressed his views of Hinata's continued defiance against him.

Despite hearing how degrading Toneri spoke of her, Hinata formed a slight smirk beneath her lips, which had some blood streaming. "Now that's curious. I thought you always held Hamura in high regard, given he is your ancestor. What you just told me suggests otherwise. And I think I know why. Beneath all this talk about you being mighty and powerful, you're just a desperate tyrant who fears being left in Hamura's shadow. Therefore, you're willing to do anything to create a selfish legacy on your own, even if that means…destroying what Hamura really wished to protect!" Hinata told Toneri what she thought was wrong with Toneri.

As Toneri heard those words, he completely froze. Apparently, they had managed to actually affect Toneri's feelings. He started drifting back into the past, back when he was experiencing nothing but loneliness on the Moon. The very thought about it only pained Toneri emotionally. But at the same time, it also enraged him. The azure-eyed man clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in anger. Now, he was really mad at Hinata and she could see that.

"You little bitch! You pretend to speak as if you know all about me. About my story, about my strength…and even about my life! But a clueless and miserable woman such as you…don't know a damn thing about it!" Toneri spat before grabbing a Truthseeker Ball beside him. With it, he created a giant golden sword of pure Chakra. He held it for Hinata to see its length. It soon became apparent what Toneri was planning on doing now. "At this rate, I feel no longer obliged to keep your blathering mouth alive. It only keeps irritating me to the next level. Therefore, you leave me no choice but to kill you! I will shatter the spirits of your friends and family by slicing you in two! There is nothing you can do to avoid my sword! It can cut whatever stands in it's way!" the azure-eyed man added, carrying nothing but killing intent upon Hinata.

The Hyuuga-heiress was stunned to see the blade Toneri had formed. It was incredible gigantic and long! She could tell it by how long it stretched across the barren terrain. But even as she saw it, Hinata didn't turn around to run away. No, she would stand and face her opponent. But to do that, she would have to come up with a strategy. And Hinata happened to have it covered.

"It's going to take a lot of my Chakra to pull this. But I'll have to try! It's either that or my death! And I know which is preferable!" Hinata told herself, still standing in her fighting stance. But slowly, she began gathering Chakra all around her, especially in her hands. The muscle around her bright eyes only increased due to her Byakugan being empowered. Because of that, Hinata could slightly feel pain in her eyes, yet she resisted it. "This is no time to be having second thoughts. It's time that I stop running and start proving everyone who's ever doubted me wrong!" the bluenette added to the burning determination that that was stoking inside her.

Toneri could not wait any longer. In his furiousness, he dashed towards Hinata, ready to swing his blade of Chakra to slice off the woman he was supposed to marry. This time, he would no longer take any more chances. He would finish the job to end these interruptions.

"IT'S OVER FOR YOU, HINATA HYUUGA! NOW DIE IN VAIN!" Toneri yelled as he swung his blade.

There was so much tension going on right now. Naruto and his friends watched in awe as Toneri swung his blade of Chakra in hopes of ending Hinata. But in that moment, Hinata made her move. Using her left hand, which had already been covered by a lion's head, Hinata hit the blade with her palm with a powerful wave of Chakra emitted from it. Gritting her teeth, Hinata pushed with all her might to withstand the blade of Chakra. When she felt what was at stake, Hinata pressed on.

"EIGHT TRIGRAMS HAZAN STRIKE!" Hinata yelled as she did the unthinkable. She actually destroyed Toneri's blade of Chakra. It first began to crack, before disintegrating completely.

To see this only infuriated Toneri. "NOOO! DAMN IT! IT'S…...IMPOSSIBLE!" he angrily yelled in outrage. But he quickly got over it, and proceeded to come up with another attack, yet he was too late. Unfortunately for Toneri, Hinata was already a step ahead of him. "You fucking bitch…." Toneri cursed, feeling what was coming to him.

Hinata managed to regather Chakra on her left hand. She also did it on her right. Now, two heads of lions could be seen. And they were powerful and ready to be let at on any target. The fury was taking over Hinata right now. "YOU'RE DONE, TONERI! EIGHT TRIGRAMS TWIN LION SURGING SHOT!" she yelled and delivered both blows right on Toneri.

Toneri hoped that his Chakra would protect him from Hinata's hands. But for some reason, they wouldn't do it. Hinata's Chakra was simply being too powerful for him to resist. Therefore, Hinata's hands landed straight on Toneri's stomach and chest. It was quite hard and Toneri felt himself sprouting out a pool of blood as he did it. Once it was over, he was sent flying across the barren landscape, until he crashed straight into a giant wall of rock. The crash was so powerful that it even created a crater on the wall itself. Not long after, his Tenseigan Chakra Mode was deactivated, thus leaving Toneri back to his normal form in his black wedding attire.

Toneri felt his entire body becoming broken, especially his neck and back. He couldn't even move his hands. His lips were covered in blood and he soon found himself coughing out chunks of it. Despite being seriously injured, he could still speak, let alone see. But his mind was also damaged at the moment. What he just experienced was something he never thought he would.

"To be defeated…...by a mere woman…..how pitiful" Toneri uttered out, with blood still coming out between his teeth. "But then again…I underestimated you, Hinata Hyuuga. You really are….strong" he added, once again coughing out blood.

But as he took his time to reflect on this humiliating defeat, Toneri could see Hinata approach him. She was panting deeply to recover her energy yet remained stubborn and stood right before her defeated opponent. A moment of silence took place between the two, until Hinata ended it when she spoke up.

"You won't be terrorizing the Earth, my friends and my family ever again. Your shenanigans are over. You lost against this "mere" woman you claimed I was" Hinata spoke up, her voice carrying her hidden rage, but also her open distaste for Toneri. Her right hand began glowing with the purple Chakra. "And now, I'm taking back the eyes of my father and younger sister. They belong with them, not you!" the bluenette expressed her determination and quickly thrust her hand into Toneri's eyes.

Toneri was in no position to resist Hinata. He had completely exhausted himself, not to mention his injuries. As such, he felt his eyes being taken away. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO! AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH!" Toneri screamed in pain as Hinata forcefully pulled out the eyes that belonged to Hiashi and Hanabi. This resulted in Toneri receiving openings on his eyeholes. Blood also streamed out of them, and Toneri continued to yell in agony.

Even so, Hinata didn't care about Toneri. He brought all this upon himself. Now, he would have to live with the consequences. That was Hinata's way of thinking. She turned around and could see the entire gang waiting for her not too far from where she was standing. They were all cheering for her victory.

"HINATAAAAAAAA!" they said in unison, much to the surprise of Hianta, who did not expect to see something like this.

Feeling very happy on the inside, she ran towards her friends, not caring about how it took a toll on her body. Right now, Hinata just wanted to feel what it was like to be praised and looked up to as a heroine.

Hinata found herself getting surrounded by Sakura, Ino, Tenten and the other kunoichis that were with the Moon Expedition. They all expressed their admiration of her.

"Way to go, Hinata! You really showed him!" Ino complimented the bluenette, causing her to feel slightly embarrassed, yet hid it for everyone.

"Yeah. I honestly can't believe how strong you've gotten! It's incredible!" Sakura joined in on complimenting Hinata. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm starting to feel a little jealous" the pinkette then admitted.

Hinata couldn't help but to feel bad for making Sakura feel that way. She knew what had to be done. "Don't say things like that, Sakura. Everyone has their own strengths. Doubting your strength is just not you" she told her.

Sakura immediately realized her mistake. "You're right. I take it back. I just got a little carried away by all this excitement" the pinkette said while giggling.

"We're glad you prevailed, Hinata" Naruto spoke up as he, Shikamaru and Shino all smiled at the bluenette. "We knew you could do it. I knew I made the right decision in letting you fight him" the blonde-haired man told her.

Hinata giggled in return. "Please. You flatter me too much, Naruto" she insisted, yet she appreciated Naruto's compliment, nevertheless.

"Believe it or not, your victory has saved millions of human lives. I'm indeed impressed" Shino told his teammate, the Aburame realizing why Hinata's win was a victory for the Moon Expedition.

"And thanks to your actions of putting Toneri out of commission, the Moon has stopped moving!" Shikamaru declared and everyone celebrated their victory. Everyone was finding amusement in this, even stoic types such as Sasuke, Komaza and Juugo.

Hinata was surprised once she could hear the bark of Akamaru. Turning around, she spotted Kiba, who was riding his canine partner. While he didn't seem to have recovered from his injuries fully, he still felt he had enough energy to walk and speak with Hinata. Kiba got off Akamaru and faced the woman he loved dearly.

"Hinata…..." he uttered out lowly.

"Kiba!" Hinata exclaimed in happiness while quickly embracing him in a tight hug.

As she did that, Kiba squeaked in pain, causing Hinata to wonder why. "Ouch! Hinata, I'm still recovering from my injuries, don't squeeze my bones so tight!" he pleaded to her as nicest as he could.

Hinata immediately felt bad for her actions and let go of Kiba as a result. "Oh my goodness. I'm terribly sorry, Kiba! I got carried away!" the bluenette told him before calming her senses. "But you and Akamaru…..I'm so glad neither of you are dead!" she expressed her relief.

Kiba only grinned cheekily in return. "Sure! Some stabbings weren't gonna be the end of us. Right, Akamaru?" he said and Akamaru barked happily in agreement. "But enough of us, you were completely badass out there, Hinata! I mean, you're even stronger than me. Boy, am I glad to call you my girlfriend" the brown-haired Inuzuka expressed his admiration of Hinata.

Hearing Kiba compliment her caused Hinata to blush slightly. "Kiba...stop saying such things. It's embarrassing" she lightly scolded her teammate, even though she was pleased to hear it. "Even so, I really am glad you were safe from harm. I thank you all for contributing to his well-being" the bluenette told Kiba before facing Naruto, Shikamaru and other friends who were responsible for watching over the Inuzuka-duo.

As she did that, Kiba put a hand on her shoulder, causing Hinata to snap in surprise. She wondered why he did that. The brown-haired man leaned closer to whisper something in her left ear.

"Hinata. I know you just emerged victorious, but you can't forget your family. Perhaps your dad and sister want their eyes back" Kiba reminded her, causing Hinata to gasp in slight embarrassment. But Kiba was not yet finished whispering into her ear. "But not only that. Hinata, I think it's time you and your dad had a talk. You know, as between a father and his daughter. I know that you still have some open wounds that are difficult to heal. I suggest you start healing them by telling your father what you really want" the Inuzuka went on to explain what the bluenette should be doing now that her family is safe.

Even though the very thought of it unsettled Hinata, she clearly understood the need to go and speak to her father. True, he now knew everything about what had transpired between her and Kiba. How would he react to this secret? Realizing that she could no longer have these worries upon her, Hinata decided to do that.

"Very well….I'll go and speak to him" Hinata said, and proceeded to approach where the Hyuugas were standing.

Seeing Hinata being brave enough to go and having a talk with her family made Kiba satisfied. It was only a signal of the blunette having matured as a woman. The old and naïve her would've run away from such obligations. But that part of Hinata was nothing but a distant memory now.

Hinata quickly got over to her family, as she could see Hyuugas such as Ko, Natsu, Tokuma, Hoheto and Iroha smile happily at their heiress emerging victorious from this fight. She gladly accepted hugs from them, considering how greatly she valued her fellow Hyuugas. However, she was more concentrated on her father and sister. While Hanabi was smiling, given she had heard what had happened, Hiashi was still wearing a frown on his face. Nevertheless, Hinata proceeded to give each of them their eyes back. Once it was done, the two removed their bandages.

"My sight…it has returned!" Hanabi exclaimed in happiness before embracing her older sister in a tight hug. "You're an amazing big sister, Hinata! Too bad I didn't get to see the entire match! That would've been great to have watched" the teenage girl expressed her admiration of Hinata.

Hinata sweetly smiled and returned the hug towards her little sister. "Thank you, Hanabi. It really means a lot to me. And believe me, this fight was harder than what I ever imagined" Hinata told Hanabi in her sisterly tone.

But once Hinata's face met Hiashi's things got quiet between the father and his eldest daughter. Hiashi was still facing her with a frown, yet Hinata did so in return. None of the Hyuugas dared to step in between them, not even Hanabi. This was the perfect time for Hiashi and Hinata to have a different kind of talk. Interruptions were unwelcome and the Hyuugas could see that neither Hiashi nor Hinata wanted such.

"You heard everything that I said about you. I'm sorry if you were offended" Hinata started the conversation by apologizing to her father. "But if you wish to disown me for my intimacy with Kiba, then here's your chance. And I say this to you: I regret nothing!" the bluenette declared.

Hiashi sighed when hearing this. "No, Hinata. I will not disown you, even though I am mad at you for keeping this intimacy a secret" the clan head spoke, this time speaking more softly than usual. By hearing this, Hinata's expression softened. "Rather…I wish to make amends with you. Therefore, I am going to allow you to say whatever things you think is wrong with me. Sometimes, even a father must realize his mistakes" Hiashi added, his voice still sounding soft.

"Realizing your mistakes? What are you talking about?" Hinata asked her father, feeling a bit taken aback from hearing this. "After the world war, I hoped that you would at least grow more honorable and respectful as a clan head. But you proved me wrong. You're still the same cold-mannered father who looked down upon me. Calling me nothing but a failure to the Hyuuga clan! So why in the world do you say you wish to realize your mistakes now? Answer me!" the bluenette demanded an answer from her father.

Hiashi closed his eyes, reflecting before opening his mouth. "Because…." Hiashi said and finally opened his eyes. Instead of being strict, they were filled with remorse. Tears could be seen from his bright eyes. "No. You were never a failure, Hinata. The only failure among us…was me. I am a failure for neglecting you and Hanabi, for not realizing what your happiness is and for not being the father you really needed" he told her.

Hinata was stunned. Truth be told, she had only seen her father cry twice. Other than that, he rarely showed any emotions such as sadness,

"Father…" Hinata uttered out lowly.

"Yes, Hinata. It is I who should be called a failure. All this time I kept telling myself that my way of raising you was justified. But it wasn't. I let the elders of the clan control my emotions and way of leading us Hyuugas. As such, I have let your mother down. She would have never forgiven me if she were alive to see this" Hiashi tearfully explained to Hinata.

Surprisingly, Hinata herself had let some tears fall off out of her eyes as well. She was remembering her mother. "Mother…." Hinata uttered out, lowly while thinking about Haya Hyuuga.

Even Hanabi had begun to cry as well, despite the fact she was too little to remember how her mother was like. But the teenage girl was not alone. The other Hyuugas also felt the grief slowly taking over them, as they all remembered the kind of woman Haya was.

"I know this can't take back all the wrongdoings that has happened to you. But I want you to understand this, Hinata. No matter what the elders said, I always believed you were destined for something great. But I was very impatient" Hiashi told his eldest daughter as honest as he could. Hiashi even approached Hinata, putting both hands on her shoulders. He was still crying while facing Hinata's eyes "And I will tell you this, my daughter. Whenever I see you, especially your face and hair…I am immediately reminded of your mother. You have inherited her kindness and wisdom…the same things that made me fall in love with her during our childhood" the middle-aged man admitted to her.

Hinata was stunned by hearing all this. Tears were still streaming from her bright eyes, yet she didn't open her mouth to say a word. Even so, the bluenette was still facing her father.

"Kindness…..and wisdom…" Hinata uttered out those words. She remembered having a similar conversation with the spirit of Hamura. He told Hinata about her being a true champion of compassion and love. Was her father now stating the same thing? Hinata wanted to find out more. "Are you suggesting that I…bear some resemblances to mother?" Hinata then asked Hiashi, wanting to know the answer.

Hiashi nodded his head, even forming a weak smile as tears ran across his cheeks. "You do indeed, Hinata. And I can even tell that no matter what harshness you experienced…...you still held onto your kindness and love..….they never died" the clan head answered. "And up until now I understood that while you did in fact resented me for everything you had experienced…..your never gave in to rage and resentment. You still valued your serene nature" Hiashi added, words not being enough to describe how proud he was of her.

Hinata took her father's hands off her shoulders and held them. "It's because I'm nothing like you or any other arrogant Hyuuga. But deep down inside, I still can't bring myself to hate you, father. Succumbing to rage has never been my thing, until Toneri came and committed all this lunacy that is" Hinata remarked, still feeling unwilling to disregard her father completely.

"I know. But even if you did in fact hate me, I would never have faulted you for it. And neither would your sister, your cousin, your uncle or even your mother. I would then have to live with regaining your trust, which is exactly what I want to do now" Hiashi revealed to her while motioning for Hanabi and the other Hyuugas to come around them. "Once we're back home, we will all begin a new chapter for the Hyuuga clan, first by celebrating your emergence as a true kunoichi. We will also celebrate in memory of Haya and what she stood. That will clear all wrongdoings. I will also use it as an opportunity to change as a clan head" Hiashi declared and all the Hyuugas celebrated.

Hinata, who had never felt so happy in seeing how she would be honored, hugged her father. He only returned the hug, but they were soon joined by Hanabi, who was definitely happy to share this family reunion. The Moon Expedition also cheered for Hinata, as they were happy on her behalf. As they were about to plan on how to leave this place, they were interrupted once they could hear an angry voice coming from behind.

Turning around, they were in shock by seeing Toneri standing there with an angry expression, even though his eyes were gone. The white-haired man was furious over what had happened, yet he was once again confronted by the Moon Expedition. It was amazing that he could still walk, despite his serious injuries. But then again, Toneri was an enigmatic shinobi.

"DAMN HUMANS! YOU THINK I WILL GIVE UP ON MY LIFEBOUND QUEST!?" he angrily demanded as he was confronted by Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, Shikamaru and Sakura. "I WILL NEVRE STOP FIGHTING! OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Toneri added to his furiousness.

Hinata narrowed her bright eyes in return. "Why can't you stay defeated!?" she asked him, only to have a lot of Hyuugas standing beside her. It caught her by surprise, yet Hinata understood why they were doing this.

"You won't need to fight on your own, Hinata. To make it up for giving me and Hanabi back our sights, we will gladly be fighting this madman for you" Hiashi insisted to her in a fatherly manner before fixing his stern eyes upon Toneri. "You have no power over us Hyuugas, Toneri Otsutsuki! As their clan head, I will gladly take you on should you dare lay a hand upon them, especially Hinata!" he warned his enemy sternly.

But Toneri only laughed at Hiashi's threat. "Foolish, old man! Even if I've been reduced back to blindness, I am more than capable in handling you!" he said, and something began happening on the Moon. It was still moving towards the Earth! Everyone was stunned in how Toneri could still pull it off. "And more importantly, who ever said that I needed the Tenseigan to control the Moon's movements!? My very own essence is the Moon! I AM THE MOON!" he then declared.

"Shit! The Moon's still moving!" Shikamaru cursed as he watched the Armageddon Countdown Clock. "Something's gotta be done, right here, right now!" he added while facing Naruto with desperation.

The blonde-haired man was fixing his eyes upon Toneri. "Give it up, Toneri. You lost. If you think you are strong enough to take on the likes of me, then you're sadly deluded. You lost to Hinata. That makes you no much stronger than any of us standing before you! So have the courtesy to surrender peacefully! It's much better than to die in shame and lonliness!" Naruto warned Toneri, while stating his reasons for why Toneri's shenanigans were pointless.

But it didn't sway Toneri in any way. Rather, it only infuriated the white-haired man on the inside. "You human bastards….I'LL NEVER SURRENDER TO YOU!" he yelled and was about to make his move against the Moon Expedition.

But in the minute Toneri could even launch his attack, a thick fog began descending upon the Moon's harsh terrain. And before everyone knew it, wisps began floating around Toneri in circles. And among those wisps was of course Kukurihime. The Wisp Queen was now performing some kind of ritual on him.

"KUKURIHIME! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" Toneri angrily demanded an answer, yet he could not move a muscle.

"Cleanings you of the corruption, Toneri Otsutsuki. Due to the brave and valiant efforts of Hinata Hyuuga, you are now weakened to even resist us. The depriving of the Tenseigan is also a major factor. From now one, you will no longer enslave my people" the Mother Wisp informed of their intensions, their light glowing brightly as they continued circling around him. "And it is time you now face judgement from your ancestors. Hear what they have to say to you now that the corruption is out of your mind!" she added before vanishing.

As the wisps were gone, Toneri could realize something. He no longer felt voices in his head. To him, it was a relief. Still, he was unsure about being alone in this foggy terrain. Where had he been taken to? But it didn't take long before the foggy terrain vanished from his sight. Toneri found himself standing before the Shrine of Hamura, as well as the graveyard of the Otsutsuki Branch House members. So many thoughts swirled inside the young man's mind right now. But the silence ended once he could see a spirit emerge out of the shrine. Toneri couldn't believe it. This presence he felt belonged to none other than Hamura Otsutsuki. The elderly man was facing him with a deep frown, causing Toneri to quickly bow before him in respect.

"You are….Hamura Otsutsuki!" he expressed his surprise while kneeling before him. "By the gods…I am honored to be standing in your presence!" he added, feeling nothing but excitement in getting to speak with the ancestor he greatly admired.

To Toneri's surprise, Hamura was not impressed with his greetings. The elderly man even banged his staff on the ground, thus catching Toneri's attention.

"Save your words, boy! After what you and your predecessors have done, you still have the nerve to use my name to justify the mad goals you and the Branch Family desired! The very thought of it only disgusts me!" Hamura spoke up firmly, this making Toneri's skin crawl. This was something he had not expected to hear from his ancestor. "Your depraved actions, such as capturing the Hyuuga clan and threatening my brother's world, are beyond horrendous. They are a stain upon my legacy! It was right of me to ask the Byakugan Princess for aid in stopping you. Unlike you, she is truly worthy of my blessing" the sage spoke up, hinting to his admiration of Hinata.

Toneri gasped slightly, unable to fathom all this scolding he was receiving from Hamura. "But I don't understand…..you always desired to destroy humanity and their world. It was what you and the Sage had decided. Humanity abused the gift of Chakra for their own personal gain. But yet…...you say that I bring stain upon your legacy" the white-haired man spoke up, recalling what he knew from the history of the Otsutsuki clan. "Why are you condemning me!? I spend my entire life dedicating to fulfilling your dying wish. You wanted the Sage's world to be destroyed! You directly told that to the entire clan! So how in the world can you…" Toneri's alleging was interrupted by the eruptive voice of Hamura.

"Hold your tongue, boy!" Hamura roared, thus shutting Toneri off completely. A moment of silence was took place between them before the elderly man spoke up once again, this time with a less aggressive voice. "What you have believed in are nothing but rumors and lies spread across the Branch House in order to rally it against the Main House. Before my death, the Branch House envied the wealth and respect the Main House commanded. After my death, the quarreling began. But the Otsutsuki civil war only escalated further once these false allegations about my dying wish became a factor. The Main House knew they were phony, but the Branch House immediately took them to heart. Little did they realize, they had all been played out by dark whisperings" Hamura went on explaining what happened in history.

Toneri felt his entire body sweat intensively. At this rate, he was very conflicted. He didn't know which was real or not. But hearing his ancestor telling him this only made it more tempting to accept it as the truth. In fact, Toneri himself wanted to know something and Hamura would give him that.

"Dark whisperings….like those who have been plaguing me for the last couple of years…..what are they!?" Toneri asked, feeling slightly distressed in saying this.

Hamura felt it was now time for Toneri to understand something really important. "It is time for you to know a terrible truth, young Toneri. It is a fact that even the Branch Family stopped learning once this bickering on the Moon took place. And this fact, is the sole reason why we Otsutsukis settled on the Moon when it was created. The Moon is more than a giant orb floating above the Earth. It is also a prison" the elderly man revealed sincerely.

Toneri felt himself shiver. "A prison!? For what!? What could we possibly be guarding on the Moon!?" the white-haired man asked.

"You know very well what I am talking about, boy. I speak of the terrible monstrosity that has not only been tormenting you and your family throughout the ages. It also tormented my mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki. You do remember who drove her to insanity, do you not? When me and my brother sealed her away, we created the Moon by using the Earth. But something was kept inside the ball that later become the Moon" Hamura told him, before starting to sound grimmer than before. "The Moon is actually a prison….for the hellish and corrupted dragon of old: Kenrojin" he then revealed the name of the beast he despised.

Toneri lost balance and fell on his behind. Believe it or not, he was actually crying and sobbing. "What….so that means…all this time…I've been….." the white-haired man couldn't help but to scream in agony and pain. "AAAAAARRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHH!" he let out a cry of despair.

"Yes, young one. Throughout the ages, Kenrojin was only playing Otsutsuki against Otsutsuki, waiting for the time when he could be freed from this prison on the Moon. His influence has already been stretched underneath the Earth itself. Should he ever be free, it would signal the end of all life" Hamura informed Toneri about the threats Kenrojin posed.

Toneri was now on his fours begging for mercy. "Forgive me, Hamura! Please understand that I never intended to let myself get corrupted by this…..beast! But the whisperings…they kept promising me greatness if I carried out your final…" once again, Toneri was shut by Hamura.

"Enough of your pleadings! It is too late to regret your wrongdoings, Toneri. Right now, you must focus on what is at stake here! I want you to cooperate with the Byakugan Princess in preventing Kenrojin from escaping. Even now, I fear he has already gained followers on my brother's world. It is a secretive order, the one called the "Dragon Creed". I have yet to understand when it was founded. Nevertheless, they must be stopped at any cost. And while you are at it, make sure that the Moon never again threatens the Earth! That the least you can do to make it up for your stupidity!" Hamura harshly berated Toneri, as the young man slowly got up on his feet. But Toneri actually took Hamura's words to heart. This time, he seemed more than willing to carry out an order from Hamura. "Kenrojin may have started to resurface once again. But I fear that he is not doing this alone. Yes, something else is helping that dragon with unmaking everything we created. And I can only point to one suspect" he then suggested, realizing how difficult this situation actually was.

"What are you talking about? Who is this person you speak of?" Toneri wondered, only to snap once he could slowly begin to grasp what his ancestor was trying to tell him. "No…..you can't possibly say that…." Toneri uttered out in slight disbelief.

Hamura weakly nodded his head as a yes. "Indeed. You must be willing sacrifice anything when the time comes, young Toneri. Because sooner or later….Hirohito will return. Now, remember what I have told you. Do whatever you can to prevent Kenrojin from ever….." Hamura's speech was interrupted once everything around him and Toneri crashed.

Toneri was stunned, he felt the entire scene change and he found himself in the middle of a terrible cyclone. Everything around him disappeared and Toneri could see that the vision the wisps had given him was now vanishing. Once it was gone, Toneri found himself being covered in darkness.

He was not the only one. Even the Moon Expedition were terrified over feeling this dark cyclone happen on the Moon. It was strange how something like this could even take place on something so distant as the Moon. It just happened out of the blue. But they managed to hold onto one another in face of this unexpected event.

"WHAT IS THIS!? WHAT IS HAPPENING!?" Toneri angrily asked, only to hear a deep chuckle emerge from the dark cyclones. Toneri froze, as did Naruto and the others. They had heard this voice somewhere before.

"You have done well, Toneri Otsutsuki. But I am afraid this is the end of your story. Thank you for being kind enough to dance on my strings!" the deep voice called out to Toneri. "And as for the rest of you mortals. Your fate has also been sealed. NOW RELEASE ME!" it spoke to Naruto and his friends before telling someone to release him.

Everybody wondered who he was talking to, but they soon discovered the answer. Toneri felt himself getting pierced by a blade carrying black flames. He was stabbed through his heart. It didn't take long before the Moon Expedition caught wind of who was behind it.

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Suigetsu and the rest all scowled in seeing the three criminals: Saizo Uchiha, Nagisa Sorui and Hiruko Sado, emerge from behind Toneri, who was forced onto the harsh ground while coughing out blood from his mouth. He angrily turned around and immediately recognizes who these individuals were.

"YOU THREE! YOU'RE OF THE DRAGON CREED!" Toneri angrily yelled. "YOU WERE THE REASON FOR THOSE WHISPERINGS!" he added.

The three criminals simply ignored Toneri's outburst, and instead focused their attention on the Moon Expedition. It would seem that since Toneri was now weakened, it was the right time for them to make their move.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: Now this chapter was probably very Hinata-orientated, given that I let her have the spotlight with regards to the fight against Toneri, as well as her reconciliation with her father. Then again, Kishimoto never bothered doing something like that with Hinata, so I thought maybe I could have some fun with her. But this chapter also contained some details about Toneri. I always wanted to write a scene where he personally spoke with Hamura. And by the looks of it, they don't seem to get along (just kidding), I do not wish to make him a hero in this story, but he will at least have some decency within him to make it up for his mad plans. The next chapter will feature the release of a terrible beast that seeks to destroy everything. And this order called the Dragon Creed. What is it really? Hopefully, everything will be explained in time. But other than that, Kenrojin will be fully revealed in the next chapter. And believe me, he is worse than the Ten-Tailed Beast.**


	28. Humanity's Reckoning

**Author's note: This chapter will focus on major changes throughout the world. First, we will see what is happening in the Cloud Village and their promise to destroy the Moon. Then we will see what the rest of the chapter is about. It also is focused on this newfound enemy: Kenrojin. What will happen to the Earth now that a terrible enemy has been unleashed. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Humanity's Reckoning**

 _On the mountains near the Village Hidden in the Clouds, the Land of Lightning_

Since discovering a secret ANBU cooperation between the Leaf, Sand and Mist Villages, both the Cloud Village and the Stone Village had once again become icy with regards to dealing with them. They viewed the Triple Entente as a potential threat to their existence. But because of the ongoing crisis with the Moon, both the Fourth Raikage and the Third Tsuchikage felt there was little time to deal with this outrage. Then again, the two Kages felt their actions and means to save and protect the Earth were justified.

Since confronting Tsunade, Mei and Gaara about the Triple Entente, A had returned to oversee the Chakra Cannons getting ready for the unthinkable: destroying the Moon. Because of the Triple Entente being formed behind his back, the Fourth Raikage no longer felt the need to ask for the other Kages' consent and support in firing those Chakra Cannons. Only the Onoki was supportive of A's plan.

In the Cloud Village itself, reactions to the Raikage's decision in destroying the Moon were mixed. His closest advisors, as well as the Cloud Council, were all in favor of doing whatever means necessary to save the world. But for some popular individuals in the Cloud such as the Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tailed Ox: Killer B, the Raikage's plan was nothing but self-destructive. B had also more reasons for go against this. Naruto and the Moon Expedition was on the Moon and destroying it would only kill them. There was no way B was gonna let that happen. Unfortunately, A remained firm on his decision, something which slowly started to make the icy relationship between the two adoptive brothers much worse.

On the cliffs near the Cloud Village, the largest and imposing Chakra Cannon had now been set up. It was with that the Cloud ninjas were planning on destroying the Moon. But doing so would require a lot of effort of the village's strongest shinobis, including A and B. But would they be willing to work together in order to empower the Chakra Cannon? That was nothing but an unlikely outcome.

As the Moon slowly began nearing the Earth, the shinobis of the Cloud Village were in position. They were prepared for the outcome: large meteorites that would take form once the Moon was destroyed. All they were waiting was for the large Chakra Cannon to fire.

With so many powerful Cloud ninja lending their Chakra to the cannon, this blast would without a doubt be the most powerful ever witnessed. But everyone was stunned to see the cannon go out of commission before it could reach to it's full capacity. It didn't take long before they figured out the answer.

The Raikage was furious. He turned his anger towards his adoptive brother. Killer B remained defiant towards him, crossing his arms while refusing to back down from this confrontation. Things escalated and those around the feuding brothers were worried about a potential fight to the death.

"B! What the hell is the meaning of this!?" A barked, getting very confrontational with B. "Get back here and lend this cannon your Chakra! And that's an order!" the Raikage demanded.

So far, Killer B remained unmoved by his brother's outburst. But it only lead him to respond back to A's commands. "Hell to the naw! I already told you, I'm not gonna let you kill Naruto and his buddies! Have a little faith in them, ya fool!" the rapper/poet berated the Raikage.

Anger and frustration was taking hold on A at the moment. Killer B's continued defiance towards him had only triggered his rage. Those around them were not sure what to be afraid of, either of getting killed by the Moon crashing on them, or to be caught in the crossfire between A and B. Either way, they all felt this feud was self-destructing.

"Lord Raikage! Lord Jinchuuriki! Please show some restraint!" Cee pleaded, as he, Darui and Samui rushed over to stop the battle they sensed was taking place.

"Shit! It just had to happen at the wrong time!" Darui cursed, seeing this kafuffle as a huge pain in his neck.

Lighting sparkled outside A's body, all the more reason for B to stand on his guard. He was fully aware of his brother's intentions of seeing his plans come to fruition, even if it meant taking risky choices. The Raikage also had no qualms in using violence as a means to see them succeed.

Unbeknownst to B and other shinobis of the Cloud, A was not particularly happy with using risky tactics. It also pained him whenever he was resorted to taking drastic measures in face of dilemmas. Being in two world wars had hardened him, despite A trying to let go of his militaristic attitude after the fourth one.

"Don't make me do this, B. We both know that Naruto Uzumaki earned my respect during the world war. But in desperate times, drastic measures are required. That's why I can't make any more compromises with him or the other Kages, especially since this Triple Entente was formed behind our backs" A explained to his brother, trying to reason with him.

Still, it didn't sway B so easily. "So they did some mischief with this secret alliance of theirs. Big, fucking deal! At least the Triple Entente hasn't resulted in the loss of shinobi lives, unlike your politics and methods!" the Jinchuuriki retorted to his brother.

The moment those words came out of B's mouth, the Raikage almost lost his mind. Once again, A's wrongdoings in handling the Sado clan coup attempt came to haunt him. It was simply too much for him to take. However, the thought soon ended, and A began turning his anger directly upon B.

"THEN I'LL MAKE YOU DO AS I SAY THROUGH FORCE!" A roared, forcing B to retaliate.

"YOU ASKED FOR IT, BRUH!" B hit back, as he charged towards his brother.

The surrounding Cloud ninjas were distressed in seeing the two most powerful of their village ready clash in a titanic fight. "Damn! Here they go again!" Darui expressed his frustration with the upcoming battle. "We gotta do something to stop those two! And quick!" he added while speaking to Cee and Samui.

"We know that! But how are we supposed to pull these titans away from each other!?" Cee demanded an answer out of Darui. "We need a plan, damn it!" the blonde-haired man snapped at his partner.

"Worry about that later! Right now, separating Lord Raikage and Lord Killer B from each other is all that matters!" Samui scolded the two advisors before calling to someone. "Atsui! Karui! Omoi! Get over here this instant! We need all of us in order to end this fight!" she then called out to some of her fellow Cloud ninjas, one of them who was her younger brother, of course.

Karui, Omoi and Atsui quickly came to their side without hesitation. Together, they quickly rushed into the incoming clash, immediately figuring out a way to prevent it. But could they succeed?

"Shit! Now Master Killer B is really pissed!" Omoi cursed in awe of what he could see.

"This is getting really bad!" Karui expressed her worries of this kafuffle.

As A and B were about to attack each other, they stopped once they both heard what appeared to be a loud cracking sound. They along with the other Cloud ninjas wondered whether an earthquake had struck nearby. But it wasn't. It didn't come from their home. Rather, the large cracking sound came from above, or perhaps more specifically the Moon. The Cloud Village's leadership quickly gathered together in assess the situation. From what they could see, the giant pale ball was beginning to show cracks all around it. And within those cracks, there existed nothing but lines of fiery orange.

"Can you hear it? The Moon…..it's actually starting to crack!" Omoi expressed his paranoia in what he saw above him.

"But that's impossible! The Chakra Cannon didn't reach enough capacity to fire! How in the world can something like this happen!?" Cee snapped.

"Maybe it's because this isn't the work of the Chakra Cannon" B spoke up, his voice as low, yet stressful at the same time. He thought about his good friend and fellow Jinchuuriki who was on there. "Shit! Naruto….don't you fucking dare die right now! It's not the end of you!" he then exclaimed, surprisingly getting more emotional than usual.

The rest of the shinobis could only stand and watch as more cracks appeared on the Moon. But there was one particular circle that was formed in wake of these cracks. And what appeared in between them, was nothing but fire.

"By the gods…WHAT IS THIS!?" the Fourth Raikage exclaimed out in anger as he could see something beginning to slowly take shape on the Moon.

* * *

 _Earlier, somewhere on the Moon_

Hinata Hyuuga had succeeded in winning against Toneri Otsutsuki. But even as he had his Tenseigan deprived off, Toneri refused to surrender. Before he could carry out his dangerous machinations, Toneri was interrupted by a ritual performed by the wisps and their queen: Kukurihime. They had decided to officially let Toneri realize why his actions wer nothing but misguided. As such, Toneri was granted a vision, in which he personally spoke with the spirit of his ancestor: Hamura Otsutsuki. This conversation had resulted in Toneri getting cleared of any corruption in his mindset. The sage had explained to him about how he had never wished for the Earth and humanity to be destroyed. Everything that Toneri, as well as his fellow members of the Otsutsuki Branch House, had been told were nothing but lies. It was all part of a plan to sow chaos and discord between the Main House and the Branch House.

But Toneri learned more from Hamura. It was regarding why the Moon was even created, and what it really was. The Moon was more than a giant pale ball floating above the Earth. It was also a prison, one that was nothing like those housing common criminals and bandits. It was housing an ancient monster who once fought Kaguya Otsutsuki, only to be defeated and banished into the deepest depths of the Earth. But at the same time, Kenrojin was also the one responsible for driving her into insanity. After defeating their mother, Hamura and his twin brother Hagoromo sealed Kenrojin within the Moon, in hopes of preventing the monster's whisperings from corrupting mankind. However, the beast was successful in corrupting the Otsutsuki population on the Moon.

Hamura had berated Toneri for his insane and outrageous actions, explaining that he had only been corrupted and manipulated by Kenrojin to do his bidding. But now that Toneri was free from any twisted influences, as well as realizing what had to be done in order to correct his mistakes, he decided to return back and assist the Moon Expedition.

But the vision was interrupted once Toneri felt himself getting stabbed by Saizo Uchiha. He and his cohorts, Nagisa Sorui and Hiruko Sado, had finally shown themselves in front of the Moon Expedition. The Shadow Squad, the Grim Guard and the Divine Division had all been chasing them, and now they were cornered.

The three criminals faced the group of shinobis with nothing but cold glances. Saizo only smirked in amusement. "Hmmm…so they did indeed go after us. A bold but foolish move, I must say" the raven-haired man remarked, his eyes specifically facing a shocked and slightly distressed Sasuke.

"Tch…talk about a huge pain in the ass. Why can't they just mind their own damn business!?" Hiruko wondered impatiently.

Nagisa rested his trident-like sword in his right shoulder. "Beats me. But then again, I guess there's no need for us to deal with them" the blonde-haired man spoke up while shrugging himself.

The three men could see Toneri, who had managed to get up on his knees. He was facing them in a furious manner. He was clutching onto his injury yet possessed the power to speak.

"I should have realized you were more than common terrorists! All this time, you have manipulated me into doing that damned beast's bidding!" Toneri spat before coughing out blood. He was getting weaker but remained stubborn and continued speaking to them. "How long have you served in this Dragon Creed…or more importantly, how long have you served that thing!?" he then angrily demanded an answer out of them.

Saizo glanced at him with nothing but empty eyes. "It's not for someone like you to understand. Our motives are our own objectives and business. We never share them with no one but ourselves" the Uchiha told him in a slightly emotionless tone.

This answer only angered Toneri. "YOU MISERABLE, DAMN TERRORISTS! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR USING ME!" he roared at them.

"You call us terrorists? Now that's rich, coming from a guy who wanted to destroy the Earth with the Moon. And let's not forget about you wanting to make that Hyuuga-babe your wife. Deep down, you have no remorse for what you have done. I mean, you even allowed yourself to be used" Nagisa replied to Toneri's cursing with a jab directed towards him.

Toneri only got more furious once he was hearing these things. They practically hurt him on the inside. "Bastards…..YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE MEDDLING WITH…." Toneri was kicked in his face by Hiruko, thus being sent flying, until he landed on the ground.

"Shut the fuck up, you blind fool! Can't you see we're not interested in you at all? Man, losing your eyes really has messed up your way of thinking" Hiruko spoke up, yet Toneri still got up on his feet, albeit slowly.

Nagisa had to laugh in what he was seeing. "Tch…...he got what he deserved" he said while trying to stop laughing in seeing Toneri n pain.

"Forget about him. It seems that we have company" Saizo told his comrades, and they all began focusing on what they were up against.

The trio of criminals were confronted by the Moon Expedition, with Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Sakura, Hinata and the others in the front row. They were prepared to deal with them, as they were wanted for crimes they had committed throughout the shinobi world. It was important that their machinations were put to an end.

"So you three are the Crimson Dragon, Azure Dragon and the Ebon Dragon, respectively?" Naruto asked, showing no sings of friendliness towards the trio. He blue eyes narrowed with nothing but resentment. "We all know who each of you are, as well as the crimes you have committed throughout the world with the human trafficking! Therefore, it's no need for any explanations" the blonde-haired man added.

"You scoundrels also infiltrated the Leaf Village and almost succeeded in ruining my wedding day. Not only that, you also brought fear and misery to our guests. As the wedding's host, I can't let that stand" Shino told them, lowly yet firmly. He still remembered what those three had done to sabotage one of his greatest moments in his life.

"Do you have any idea what you have done with so many human lives in this shady business of yours!?" Sakura demanded an answer out of them. "And how is it that your hideout has a secret portal to the Moon? What are reasons for being here!?" the pinkette resisted the urge to physically assault the criminals.

Saizo remained unfazed at their threats, yet he did form a smirk beneath his cold expression. "You ask what we do here? Then maybe you should have a chat with your wisp-friends. Didn't they tell you about what the Moon really is? Clearly you aren't that ignorant" the raven-haired man told Sakura.

The pinkette was furious in hearing Saizo's response, yet she managed to keep her temper leashed. She was not the only one. Plenty of others felt the same way. As hard as it was to not get ticked off about it, they knew better than to let their anger get the best of them. Even Kiba had succeeded in keeping himself calm, probably due to his recovering injuries.

"It's not too late to end all this chaos" the voice came from Lee, always willing to be giving his enemies a chance to come quietly. He was specifically facing Saizo. "Swallow your pride and do the right thing, Saizo Uchiha. Your quest for vengeance is nothing but misplaced" Lee pointed out to him.

Saizo only narrowed his eyes in hearing this. "Trying to make me surrender to you? How pathetic, for a Leaf ninja" he responded, insulting Lee in the process. "What my goals are is for me alone to decide. The same goes for my comrades. Such is the code of the Dragon Creed" he then added to his statement.

The Moon Expedition were stunned to hear what came out of Saizo. He spoke about this secretive order that had begun to surface throughout the shinobi world. But then again, none of them knew what that order was.

"The Dragon Creed….what kind of order is that?" Yamato wondered, recalling he head never heard of it, even during his time in the ANBU Black Ops.

"I could ask the same thing. Such name does not exist on any of our files" Asami replied, but something hit in the teal-haired woman's head. "But then again, it may be a reason for why no one has ever heard of it" she then concluded in her analysis.

Hyozan seemed to have grasped what she was trying to say. "I see where you are going. It must mean that some village was been instrumental in keeping it's excistence a secret for the entire world. But who?" the swordsman from the Divine Division wondered what.

"It seems that we will have to dig out some information from these three" Sai suggested to his friends, and they seemed supportive of such move.

Not everyone was taking this confusion about the Dragon Creed to heart. Sasuke, who felt this was his time to make his move, decided to act quickly. Reaching for his blade, Sasuke immediately dashed towards Saizo. But Saizo had caught wind of his tactics and responded by drawing out his blade. The two cousins were clashing, much to the surprise of Sasuke's friends.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed in what he was seeing.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ino asked loudly, but Sasuke paid no heed to their reactions.

"We need to assist him!" Juugo told everyone and was about to go after Sasuke, only for a wall of water to block his path. Those walls were also empowered by lightning. Juugo gritted his teeth in frustration.

This was the work of Nagisa and Hiruko. They were combining their powers in order to prevent Juugo or any other from helping Sasuke.

"Not so fast, groupies! This is a cousinly dispute. Surely, you would prefer them to solve it in peace, yeah?" Nagisa asked them, trying to be humorous towards his enemies, yet none of them understood it.

Suigetsu could feel the urge to strangle Nagisa's neck. "Well, you and I have some things we need to settle. And it revolves around either one of us getting killed!" the white-haired man muttered.

"Tch, these guys sure are persistent" Shikamaru expressed his opinion in seeing this blockage.

With the others busy with Nagisa and Hiruko, the Uchiha-cousins were fighting on their own. When their eyes had met, Saizo only frowned by seeing Sasuke. But for some reason, a sympathetic expression could be seen on Sasuke's face, indicating that something had changed since their last encounter. Still, Saizo was not impressed and they continued fighting on the barren plains.

"Saizo…...let's not fight! You and I are still family!" Sasuke called out to the man with the scar running across his face.

"Family!? That's bullshit and you know it!" Saizo retorted back, while trying to overpower him in the clash.

Still, Sasuke refused to back off. "I'm serious! There is a better way for you and me to heal the wounds of our past!" Sasuke insisted to him, causing Saizo to stare at him in slight surprise. "I know the truth about that night, Saizo. You and Aunt Akihime…you never died of an illness as mother and father told me and Itachi….you were both murdered…and thrown away as if you were trash. I understand how deep your anger towards us really….." Sasuke was interrupted when Saizo angrily kicked him away. He managed to land on his feet. Sasuke then prepared himself for Saizo's incoming attack.

"Don't you fucking try being sentimental upon me, Sasuke! YOU AND I ARE NOTHING ALIKE! SEEING ITACHI MURDER THE ENTIRE UCHIHA CLAN DOES NOT MAKE YOU A VICTIM LIKE ME! AND THE SAME GOES FOR ITACHI! HE WAS NEVER TRULY A VICTIM!" Saizo yelled angrily, his Sharingan being activated as a result.

But unfortunately, Saizo had managed to stoke anger inside Sasuke as well. The mentioning of Itachi, as well as the sacrifices he made. Hearing how Saizo was speaking about him in such a negative fashion only enraged the young man on the inside. He was facing the ground after once the memories of his harsh adventure came back into his mind.

"You mean to tell me that me and Itachi were no victims?" Sasuke lowly asked before lifting his head up, this showing his own Sharingan. Now he was really pissed. "WE WERE VICTIMS! DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK ABOUT ITACHI IN SUCH MANNER! HE TRULY VALUED YOU AS A SHINOBI! AS DID I!" he yelled before charging towards Saizo.

The two Uchihas were once again clashing swords, yet Saizo's had black flames while Sasuke's had lighting. It was a deadly duel between the two cousins. "HIS VALUES WERE NOTHNG BUT LIES AND DECEIT! HE WAS JUST NOTHING MORE THAN A SLAVE TO THAT PATHETC EXCUSE FOR A FATHER OF YOURS!" Saizo spat, thus enraging Sasuke further. "AND YOU WERE NOTHING BUT OROCHIMARU'S GUINEA PIG! DO YOU HAVE ANY REASON TO DISPUTE THAT!?" he then questioned Sasuke.

Sasuke was almost at his wit's end. Even so, he had control of his mind, and never gave in to his anger. Their blades clashed, yet neither cousin was blown away. But the clash did take its toll on the terrain and Sasuke was still furious with all those hateful words Saizo threw at him.

"NEVER CALL ME A GUINEA PIG! NEVER!" Sasuke retorted to his cousin, who didn't seem to care about what he had said.

As the duel was taking place between the two Uchihas, Naruto felt the urge to intervene in the fight and assist Sasuke. But a feeling in his gut told him not to. He was not alone. Even Sakura, Ino and Sai felt similar urges. They were slightly conflicted, yet they knew something had to be done about Nagisa and Hiruko.

Naruto felt it was time to confront them. "You two! If you wanna settle this charade of yours peacefully, then you best come with us" the blonde-haired man warned them, trying to make them realize their mistakes in resisting apprehension.

"You heard him! Now's not the time to be acting so defiant towards us" Shikamaru joined in supporting his captain's tone.

Neither Nagisa nor Hiruko seemed to care about the threats they were issued. "Tempting, but no" Hiruko said, trying to be sarcastic towards his foes. "This is the part where you will stop following us" he then told them.

Nagisa had to laugh in hearing that statement coming from his partner-in-crime. "Good one, pal! You couldn't have said it any better!" the blonde-haired man complimented Hiruko.

Suigetsu groaned in irritation. "This is getting too bothersome. I say we take on these guys right now!" the swordsman said while brandishing his sword. Suigetsu specifically faced Nagisa. "Hey Nagisa! I really hope that giant fork of yours is insured! Because like it or not, I'm gonna crack it!" the white-haired man said while showing his toothy grin. Nagisa only glanced at him with nothing but boredom.

"Ugh! Still overconfident I see. Honestly, you're starting to become more annoying than Mangetsu was. I mean, at least he didn't have a peanut for a brain" he remarked while scratching the back of his hair.

Suigetsu became outraged over Nagisa's words, especially since he was bringing up Mangetsu. "You'll not mention him again, fuckwit! And my brain is not a peanut!" the swordsman verbally assaulted the blonde-haired man.

His comrades in the Divine Division were starting to feel that Suigetsu's anger was becoming a liability. As a matter of fact, Suigetsu even charged straight towards Nagisa, the two swordsmen clashing blades once again.

Nagisa smirked in what he was seeing. "Finally! You DO have a spine. A shame that I'll have to rip it out of you" he remarked as lightling began enveloping on his trident-like sword.

"You won't make it to that part!" Suigetsu replied quickly.

"It looks like Suigetsu is now engaged with Nagisa now" Juugo remarked in what he was seeing.

Karin scowled. "That idiot! He never thinks before rushing into actions!" the four-eyed redhead expressed her distaste of the swordsman.

Hyozan sighed. "What do you expect. As much as I hate to agree with Nagisa, Suigetsu has indeed a peanut for a brain" he spoke up, trying not to let Suigetsu hear him.

Hiruko was standing before the crowd of the Moon Expidtion, but he seemed more than obliged to take on these shinobis. The very thought of it only excited the black-skinned man. "So now Saizo and Nagisa are having fun with their opponents. Then how about you punk-asses come at me at once! I'll take all of you down!" he declared, even activating his Chakra Cloak.

Naruto and his friends were surprised to hear how determined Hiruko was in taking on them all by himself. As a matter of fact, Hiruko's overconfidence reminded Naruto of someone. "Man, he's worse than Octopops when it comes to overconfidence" Naruto remarked while thinking about Killer B. "Still, he's way cooler than this tough bastard" he added.

"Do you seriously want us to come at you in full force?" Lee questioned Hiruko. "I don't know what to say, but you're remarkably obnoxious" the man dressed in green expressed his views of Hiruko's overconfidence.

When he heard these people not taking him seriously, it angered Hiruko. Therefore, he decided to get tougher with these shinobis by revealing them something unusual. "Not intimidated yet? Very well. I'll show you fools how dead serious I really am! KAMINARAIGAN!" he exclaimed and something happened to his eyes.

The Moon Expedition was stunned. Right now, Hiruko's eyes were as blue as the lightning strike itself. It was something they never themselves had witnessed before.

"I don't believe it…" Hinata stammered in what she was seeing. "Those eyes of his…..they're not Byakugan, and neither the Tenseigan or the Rinnegan….." the bluenette spoke up.

"Indeed. This must be infamous Kekkei Genkai the Sado clan is known to carry" Yamato remarked. "The fact of the matter is, nobody knows where the Sado clan's origins lies. That is why their talents…..including these Kaminaraigan…..are elusive to most of us" the brown-haired ANBU added to his explanation, recalling what he knew.

Hiruko overheard that statement. "Hmm, it looks like you seem to be well-informed about such matters. I'll give you points for that" the black-skinned man said and prepared his fighting stance. "However, none of you will ever get the chance of knowing the history of my people. That is only reserved for the worthy. Now, shut up and get your asses over here! I'll send you all flying back to the Earth!" he then dared his opponents to come at him.

But before they could even respond to Hiruko's challenge, the deep laughter that had plagued everybody on the Moon could once again be heard. The dark cyclone only got stronger. But there was more to that. Cracks could be heard all around them. The Moon Expedition stood on guard. Even the fight between Sasuke and Saizo, as well as the one Suigetsu and Nagisa, had ceased completely.

"What the hell…..who's that!?" Komaza asked, feeling very nervous around his comrades from the Grim Guard.

"Beats me" Nejiri responded lowly, he too surprised to hear this laughter.

However, Mikoshi was somewhat annoyed by Komaza's slight paranoia. But then again, who was he to judge him? The four-eyed man was also slightly shaken by the voice, yet he didn't react the same way Komaza did.

All things were quiet for a few seconds, until the entire terrain began showing more cracks. It almost felt like an earthquake for the Moon Expedition.

"At last! After being imprisoned by the cursed Otsutsuki's seal…..I…..AM …..FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" it called out loudly, indicating that it was now beginning to signify something serious.

The Moon Expedition quickly gathered into a large group, trying to resist the black cyclones that blew upon them. It was not easy, as they could even feel that the air itself was becoming slightly more toxic. The area reeked of smoke, fire and cinders.

"The Moon's terrain…I'TS CRACKING!" Yamato expressed his disbelief as he could see cracks being formed along the barren landscape.

"Yeah! And look what's coming out of those cracks!" Lee told everyone.

They were stunned in what they saw appearing out of those cracks. Fire and magma! They began forming rivers along the landscape. Naruto and his friends managed to get to as safe location as hellfire burned everything nearby.

"H-holy crap! This place is almost like a volcano!" Chouji expressed his fears of seeing the rivers of magma that was coming to view. In a way, he was right. The Moon was gradually starting to resemble what appeared to be a desolate and volcanic landscape.

"No kidding! How the hell does even magma exist on the Moon in the first place!?" Kiba angrily asked as he was trying to hold onto Akamaru.

"But where did those three terrorists go?" Ino wondered, realizing that they were not to be seen.

Her answer was given as Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata and the rest managed to spot them amidst this change. They looked up to a rocky hill and saw Saizo, Nagisa and Hiruko standing there facing them down. Contrary to the Moon Expedition, they were completely unfazed by the changes on the Moon.

"How can they be so calm amidst all this!?" Tenten was outraged by their reactions.

"I think there's an answer to that, Tenten" Shikamaru told her as he glanced up at the trio. "I really hate to say this, guys…but I guess our objectives here on the Moon…actually served their interest in freeing that monster!" the man with the ponytail

"So that means all this time, these guys were here for this!" Asami spat out in frustration.

"They were allied with this hellish beast!" Hyozan expressed his disbelief.

A large pillar of fire erupted from the rivers of magma and something came out of it. The Moon Expedition were shocked to see what it was that had surfaced from the depths of the Moon itself. It was a titanic creature, whose sized rivaled even that of the Ten-Tailed Beast. But it was nothing close or related to that kind. Rather, it was a serpentine creature with, volcanic scales, demonic horns, burning eyes and claws and a jaw of heat. The creature surfaced out of the ground and roared towards the atmosphere like some kind of wild beast.

"Hoooooooly shit…." Suigetsu cursed in what he was seeing.

"That thing's huge!" Yukata exclaimed out in disbelief of the size on that dragon.

"What the fuck is that thing!?" Kiba angrily asked loudly as he looked up.

"The hell if we know!" Tenten reprimanded him before returning her focus to look at the creature. "Somehow, it reminds me of the Ten-Tailed Beast…yet something's completely different….but how…" the brunette was beginning to analyze the situation.

The members of the Moon Expidition were not the only ones who were awed by this. Even Toneri was stunned to feel what this creature really was. "So this is him…..he is finally free…..KENROJIN IS FREE!" he exclaimed in open despair in what he was seeing.

The small wisps were also terrified. They and their queen had managed to hide beneath the harsh landscape, hoping to avoid catching the dragon's attention. As calm as she was, Kukurihime was also in despair of seeing the hideous beast emerging from the depths of the Moon.

"The day we have all feared has come at last. Kenrojin, the Black Scourge, the Great Corruptor, the Dragon of Death and Chaos Incarnate, has escaped his captivity" Kukurihime noted to herself, the Wisp Queen noticing how most of her people were very uncomfortable in wake of these changes. Still, the Mother Wisp knew that to do. "We will wait here for a while, my sisters. Once things are safer, we will head to Toneri Otsutsuki and convince him to aid us. Until then, wait patiently for that beast to disappear" she informed her fellow wisps.

Yes. This creature was the one that everyone, including the wisps, had spoken of: Kenrojin. The hellish dragon was finished roaring, yet he didn't come out of the hole of fire he had created on the Moon's surface. Rather, he looked down upon the nearby mortals, chuckling deeply to himself in what he saw below him.

"AFTER EONS BEING CAGED, IT IS GOOD TO BE FREE. HOW QUAINT OF YOU MORTALS TO WELCOME MY REEMERGENCE. I APPRECIATE SUCH GENEROSITY" the titanic creature spoke up. His voice rang hallows across the atmosphere. "THOSE FOOLISH TWINS BELIEVED THEY COULD IMPRISON ME INSIDE A BALL OF DIRT FOR AN ETERNITY. I LAUGH AT THEIR FALSE CONFIDENCE!" Kenrojin stated before bursting out into laughter.

Even though Toneri had been reduced to blindness, he could tell how dangerous and monstrous Kenrojin really was. In face of the endless heat and chaotic environment, the white-haired man was trying to gather his composure, but it was no use. The fight with Hinata, as well as Saizo's stab, had gradually weakened Toneri.

Kenrojin turned his fiery eye towards the Otsutsuki. So far, he was taking pleasure in seeing Toneri struggle. The dragon even lowered his head to get a good look at him, revealing his grinning teeth.

"TONERI OTSUTSUKI. YOUR ANCESTORS WERE INDEED POWERFUL, BUT ALSO THE EASIEST FOR ME TO CORRUPT. DO NOT FORGET, IT ONLY TOOK ONE DAY TO REDUCE THE MOTHER OF ALL SHINOBIS TO LUNACY. ONLY HER SONS WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND IT. BUT HAMURA OTSUTSUKI WAS NAÏVE TO BELIEVE THAT I WOULD BE POWERLESS INSIDE THIS BALL. I STILL MANAGED TO PLAY HIS UNDERLINGS AGAINST EACH OTHER" Kenrojin spoke up, referencing the civil war between the Main and Branch Houses in the Otsutsuki clan. He then decided to torture Toneri mentally. "SURELY YOU WONDER WHY I MANAGED TO BREAK FREE OF THIS PRISON. THE ANSWER TO THAT, LIES IN THE SEAL INSIDE YOU. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT, CHILD? ABOUT WHY YOUR EYES WERE SEALED AWAY AT A YOUNG AGE. THE OTSUTSUKIS ENTRUSTED YOU TO BE THE KEY TO MY PRISON, AS THEY KNEW YOU WOULD BE STRONG AND POWERFUL. THEREFORE, I TRIED TO SWAY YOU INTO DESTROYING THE EARTH BY USING THE MOON, WHICH WOULD THEN SET ME FREE. BUT SOME CIRCUMSTANCES MADE ME RECONSIDER MY OPTIONS. THESE PEOPLE LIVING ON THE SAGE'S WORLD ALL HAD THEIR OWN MOTIVES FOR ENDING THIS THREAT, SOMETHING WHICH I FELT I COULD EXPLOIT TO MY OWN BENEFIT. AND BECAUSE OF THE BYAKUGAN PRINCESS DEFEATING YOU, THE SEAL INSIDE YOU WEAKENED, THUS ENABLING ME TO FREE MYSELF!" the titanic creature revealed something so awful, causing Toneri to have a meltdown of despair.

"No…..what have I done…..WHAT HAVE I DONE!?" Toneri could finally feel his wrongdoings starting to haunt him. Everything that came out of the beast's mouth was right. But then again, it was not Kenrojin who had pointed out his wrongdoings. That honor belonged to Hamura. "All this….I have played second fiddle to someone who managed to corrupt and manipulate me…HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO NEGLIGENT!?" the white-haired man pouted onto the ground, not letting the nearby heat take an effect on him.

"AT ANY RATE, I AM AFRAID I NO LONGER NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE, TONERI OTSUTSUKI. FURTHERMORE, I SHOULD ACCTUALLY BE THANKING THESE MORTALS WHO STOPPED YOUR CHARADE!" Kenrojin tauntingly informed Toneri, before turning his burning eyes upon the Moon Expedition. Every member tensed and froze once Kenrojin faced them. The dragon's fiery eyes saw through them as if they were nothing but hollow shells. But some shinobis bravely stood up and faced the ancient monstrosity, something Kenrojin seemed to take amusement in. "I MUST COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN RELEASING ME, SHINOBIS. HOWEVER, YOU ALSO DESERVE PRAISE FOR YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AGAINST MADARA UCHIHA AND HIS MACHINATIONS. WITHOUT YOUR RESSISTANCE, THE ENTIRE EARTH WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED IN HIS INFINITE TSUKUYOMI. IF I HAD NOT BEEN IMPRISONED, I WOULD HAVE DEALT WITH MADARA AND HIS LACKEYS PERSONALLY" the dragon informed the Moon Expedition while also praising them for their efforts.

While some of the shinobis were scared to death by Kenrojin's imposing intimidation, most of them remained vigilant and brave in face of his monstrous size, especially Naruto. He didn't take the dragon's threats for real.

"You say that you planned on attacking our world two years ago? Well, too bad you were stuck inside the Moon. And even if you did come and attack us, we all would've stood against you!" Naruto replied firmly, his eyes as determined as ever.

Kenrojin chuckled deeply, thus revealing his jaws of hellfire. Naruto seemed to have made an impression on him. "YOU AMUSE ME, HOST OF KURAMA. I CAN SEE HOW YOU ARE THE CARRIER OF ASURA OTSUTSUKI'S WILL. PERHAPS THERE IS MUCH MORE I HAVE YET TO LEARN ABOUT YOU, NARUTO UZUMAKI" the told him, thus earning a death glare from Naruto. The blonde-haired man was somewhat angered over being called Kurama's host. It felt so derogatory to his standers. Nevertheless, Kenrojin focused his attention to other shinobis among the crowd. "AND IS SEE MORE PROMISING "CHAMPIONS" AMONG YOU. THE SO-CALLED LAST OF THE UCHIHA CLAN: SASUKE UCHIHA. HOW IRONIC THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO PROTECT THE SAME VILLAGE THAT MURDERED YOUR FAMILY. I CAN SEE THAT INDRA OTSUTSUKI'S WILL LIVES INSIDE YOU. AND THEN THERE IS YOU, BYAKUGAN PRINCESS. YOU MANAGED TO DEFEAT THIS POOR EXCUSE FOR AN OTSUTSUKI IN COMBAT. I AM HUMBLED BY YOUR HIDDEN STRENGHT, HINATA HYUUGA" the gigantic beast began speaking positively about Sasuke and Hinata now.

Both of them became agitated over what Kenrojin said. They did not appreciate someone like him speaking of them. They could tell that deep down, Kenorjin was only being sarcastic when he told them this. In reality, he was not the least impressed. However, was there for a particular reason he was interested in Naruto, Hinata and Sasuke? His referencing of Asura and Indra seemed to explain some of it.

"What does that bastard know about me and my past!? He doesn't know anything!" Sasuke angrily wondered in his head.

"I-I can't believe this! H-has he also been watching me the entire time!?" Hinata was starting to get slightly distressed over what she head heard the dragon say about her.

But the Moon Expedition suddenly noticed Kenrojin turning his attention on something else. It was Saizo, Nagisa and Hiruko. They were standing not far from the dragon's current location. Somehow, he seemed pleased to see them being present.

"AH, MY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS. I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOUR DEEDS IN MY SERVICE. ALL THOSE HUMANS YOU HAVE GATHERED ON THE ISLAND OF TIDES WILL MAKE WORTHY SACRIFICES TO FEAST ON! MY COMING TO THE SAGE'S WORLD HERALDS A NEW CHAPTER OF TREMORS AND HELLFIRE! VOLCANOS WILL ERUPT IN THE SKIES! THE SEAS WILL WISH OVER HUMANITY! AND I WILL REMAKE THE WORLD IN MY IMAGE! ALL HUMANS WILL BOW BENEATH THEIR TRUE MASTER AND CREATOR!" Kenrojin declared to his followers, as they listened without so much as protest to what he said.

Naruto and his friends on the other hand, were appalled by what they heard, especially with regards to those sacrifices.

"Sacrifices…what is he talking about?" Karin asked those around her, starting to feel very insecure about this.

"He means to….eat them! But that means those pirates, bandits and privateers on the Island of Tides!" Sakura clarified what it meant.

Chouji was feeling utterly disgusted when hearing this. "Woah, but…how can those three sell out their criminal buddies like that?! I mean, that's insane!" he expressed his disbelief.

Sasuke fixed his eyes upon Saizo, his eyes filled with anger. "SAIZO!" he roared out the name of his cousin. Saizo focused his attention on Sasuke, his eyes filled with emptiness. "IS ALL THIS JUST BECAUSE TO GET BACK AT ME!? IS THIS HOW FAR YOU'RE WILLING TO GO!?" the raven-haired man demanded some answers out of him.

Saizo had only glanced at Sasuke with his same disapproving eyes. But he felt more obliged to respond to him. "I told you before, Sasuke….I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY! MY LOYALTIES AND GOALS ARE MY OWN! IF I DESIRE NOTHING BUT AN END TO EVERYTHING…THEN SO BE IT!" those were the words that came out of the raven-haired man's mouth.

Sasuke only gritted his teeth in frustration. He couldn't believe that despite the fact they were family, Saizo refused to listen. A part of him started to wonder whether somebody had managed to corrupt his cousin's mind. And he thought it was not Kenrojin's doing. No, this had to be the work of someone else.

It was not just them who had this conflict. Suigetsu also started wondering why Nagisa would do something like this. "I just don't understand any of this! Nagisa managed to get back at Mangetsu by giving him this premature death. Why the hell is he still onto fucking shit up!?" the swordsman had so many questions, yet he doubted Nagisa would talk to him.

Kenrojin began moving his right claw onto another location, thus destroying the landscape, reducing it to nothing but a pool of magma. The Moon Expedition wondered whether the gigantic dragon was planning on something. It turned out that he was indeed. He even moved his left claw to what appeared to be hills of rocks. As such, Kenrojin had created a volcano. It soon became apparent that he was planning on completely freeing himself from the Moon. He had his fiery eyes set upon the Earth. Right now, the dragon had so many thoughts about how to proceed with this.

"FINALLY! THE SAGE'S WORLD WILL BREAK! HUMANITY WILL FACE ANNIHIALATION! AND EVERYTHING WILL BURN IN MY FIRE! THAT IS WHY THIS MISERABLE ORB IS OF NO USE TO ANYONE!" Kenrojin exclaimed, as he felt the rest of his body slowly loosening itself from the Moon's surface. He was feeling so much satisfaction inside his serpentine body. "MY COMING MUST BE DEMONSTRATED! AND I SHALL DO IT HERE! THE MOON WILL BE DESTROYED INTO OBLIVION! THAT WILL BE THE PRELUDE TO MY REMAKING OF THE WORLD!" Kenrojin added as he began flying towards the Earth.

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief in what he was seeing. He and his friends could see that once Kenrojin was finished, the hellish dragon busted out of the Moon' thus leaving a fiery explosion in his wake. He was causing a rift on the Moon itself. Roaring like the terrifying beast he was, Kenrojin set his course for Earth, yet he wasn't doing this alone. Saizo, Nagisa and Hiruko all rode on him, not even so much as being affected by traveling into a different atmosphere. It was probably due to Kenrojin's power.

"NO! THEY'RE HEADING TOWARDS THE EARTH!" Naruto expressed his frustration in what he was seeing.

Sasuke, who had managed to see his cousin disappear and ride with Kenrojin, was outraged. "SAIZOOOOOOOOOO!" he yelled, feeling angered by the fact that Saizo was now leaving him once again.

"NAGISAAAAA!" Suigetsu called out to his former friend, but it was no use.

Kenrojin and his allies in this Dragon Creed was now gone from the Moon. However, the shinobis of the Moon Expedition immediately found themselves in a new crisis. All around them, pillars of fire, magma and lava erupted. Things seemed to be much clearer now.

"Oh no! The Moon…IT'S DESTABALIZE!" Sakura cried out as she could see how the terrain as slowly beginning to resemble an entire pool of lava.

"FUCK! DOES THIS MEAN WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE NOW!?" Kiba angrily roared before coughing out some blood. He was still recovering from his injuries.

"At this rate, we're almost left with no options on escaping here! How are we gonna return back home now that the portal's are getting affected by this…..carnage!?" Hiashi wanted answers out of the Moon Expedition.

"Do not fret, mortals!" everyone gasped and looked up to a nearby hill see not only Kukurihime and her wisps floating above the air, but also Toneri. He was standing on one of his bird puppets. Despite him being critically injured, he still possessed the strength to stand. Kukurihime and the wisps was glowing, indicating that they were prepared for something. It turned out they were creating some kind of circle "Please, use whatever means to reach this circle! It will teleport us all to a safe location! Come here quick!" she added while creating a portal. Toneri managed to walk through it. Now, the Moon Expedition had to.

"It's Kukurihime!" Naruto expressed his surprise and relief in seeing the Wisp Queen doing something to save them. However, he and the others were wary of Toneri. Even so, they knew she was right. Survival was all that mattered. "You heard her, guys! We best get through that portal before the fires consume us!" the blonde-haired man told everyone before making way to the portal.

"You heard him! Let's get the fuck outta here before we're toasted!" Shikamaru said, making sure that everyone got that clear.

One by one, members of the Moon Expedition ran through the portal the wisps were creating. It didn't matter whether one of them were slow or fast. They all wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible. Hopefully, Kukurihime would take them someplace safe, whether such still existed on the Moon. Once everyone had passed trough the portal, Kukurihime and her people entered it and the portal was shut as a result. What remained of the spot the Moon Expedition previously stood, became nothing but smoke and cinders. It was good that they were gone.

Having walked through the portal, the Moon Expedition found themselves in a deep chamber. While the majority didn't know, Kiba, Akamaru and Hinata knew what this chamber was. Not only had they returned to Toneri's castle. This chamber was the same place where the Tenseigan stood before Hinata destroyed it. Now, all that remained was nothing but wisps. Those were the wisps that had been freed when Toneri was defeated. But even so, the group of shinobis could feel the entire chamber shake, most likely due to the thing that were happening outside.

"Look at this place! So many wisps!" Sari exclaimed as she could see the wisps that were flying around in the chamber. She was not the only one to feel that way.

"You could say that right! These must be the wisps that were previously under captivity. Now, they're all free!" Ittetsu told his comrade from the Grim Guards.

Seeing all the wisps being free made Naruto and the others smile. At least they had succeeded in accomplishing one thing. But they were one again approached by Kukurihime, the Mother Wisp willing to talk to the leaders of the Moon Expedition once again.

"Despite the fact that we are back in Toneri's castle, we are far from safe. Soon, the entire Moon will explode and vanish into nothingness. Kenrojin's actions has damaged the very core of the Moon itself. It will not take long before it explodes entirely. That explosion can cause huge meteorites that can hit the Earth. But then again, the Earth will already be destroyed by that infernal dragon…unless it is stopped" the Wisp Queen informed the group of shinobis.

Everyone understood the melancholy in Kukurihime, yet they didn't quite grasp what she said about stopping Kenrojin. "Are you saying there is still hope in defeating Kenrojin….but what about the Moon? It's about to explode!" Sakura wanted some answers out of the wisp.

"Yes. It is about to. However, it can be averted…...but at a great cost" Kukurihime told her before someone stood beside her. It was Toneri. But what was he doing? "In order for us to save the Moon from destruction…we require your assistance, Toneri Otsutsuki" she said to him.

Most of the shinobis were outraged over what the Wisp Queen was saying. "What? But why should you need his aid!? This man enslaved your kind" Asami wanted some answers while expressing her disbelief in what she was seeing.

"That man has caused tremendous pain and suffering to the Earth and humanity! What makes you think we can trust him!?" Hyozan asked, the swordsman resisting the urge to draw out his sword.

Even Hiashi and the Hyuugas were angered over the notion of seeking Toneri's help. "After what he has done to my family and clan…..there is no way I will ever do any business with him! He can die for all I care!" the middle-aged man snapped.

"Enough, already!" the voice came from none other than Toneri. He shut everyone up. Instead of his usual arrogant voice, what came out of it was a voice of sincerity. "All of you can condemn me as much as you want. And I don't fault any of you for doing it. It is what I deserve after the shame I have brought upon my ancestor. I let corruption take hold on my mind. As such, my zealousness resulted in awful things happening to humanity" Toneri spoke up.

Most of the Moon Expedition were surprised to hear how Toneri was beginning to sound remorseful. But some of them were, especially the Hyuugas, were not fully convinced. They could still remember the horrible treatment they had received by Toneri.

But Hinata took some steps towards the white-haired man. She had her bright eyes narrowed, yet she didn't take any action to assault Toneri. Her friends and family were surprised to see her being this way towards the man who had held her captive.

"You finally understand it, do you? Hamura never wanted to destroy the Moon. You and the Branch Family has been manipulated into believing a lie" Hinata said softly, yet it was not out of kindness.

Toneri gritted his teeth in frustration in what he was hearing from her. "I already know that! And because of my actions, I can never face my ancestors! I have shamed them all by orchestrating Kenrojin's escape! The Sage's world will be destroyed…..unless I can help it's heroes" Toneri explained as he did a hand seal. It was the one resembling a ram.

"Help us….what do you mean?" Shikamaru asked, yet he was soon surprised to see Kukurihime and some of her most powerful wisps gather around Toneri in a circle. They all glowed.

"I know this can't take back all the wrongdoings I have committed against humanity, as well as the pain and distressed I have caused to the Hyuugas. But there is one thing that can do in order to redeem myself in the eyes of my ancestor" Toneri said, a hint of sadness slowly take hold over him.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked both Toneri and Kukurihime about this ritual.

"Listen, brave shinobis of the Sage's world. The Moon's destruction will be averted. But to accomplish such, we must do the ultimate sacrifice. As such, it requires the life essences of us wisps and Toneri Otsutsuki" the Mother Wisp informed them.

Naruto and his friends were shocked to hear what was being said. "Sacrifice…what are you…." Lee uttered out those words.

Toneri seemed more than willing to explain the rest. "To save the Moon…we will sacrifice ourselves…and become it. All these wisps' power combined as strong as the Tenseigan. It will give birth to a new Moon. One that is stable. One that is no prison. And one that will no longer threaten the Sage's world ever again" Toneri explained.

Naruto couldn't help but to smile in what he was hearing. His friends also started doing the same thing. "So does that mean you're entrusting us…..to defeat Kenrojin?" Shikamaru asked them.

"Indeed, we are, child" Kukurihime said as several wisps began forming together, thus creating what appeared to be an arrow of pale light. The shinobis were stunned by what it was. "The battle against Kenrojin will determine the fate of your world, but we all believe in you. To show our appreciation for what you have done for my kind, I am willing to create this for you" the Mother Wisp further explained.

The arrow was glowing, and it amazed the shinobis. The arrow slowly began floating and was right beside Sasuke. He slowly reached out his hand to grab it. The moment he touched the arrow, Sasuke felt something strange inside him. Was it hope? Was it life? Was it…a blessing.

"This arrow…..what is it?" Sasuke questioned Toneri, still amazed by something to powerful.

"This is a Senshi no Hikari. It was the most powerful arrow to have ever existed. It was created eons ago by the Mother of All Shinobis: Kaguya Otsutsuki. It was the same arrow she used during her battle against Kenrojin. While the beast's body is harder than what it was before, the Senshi no Hikari can still injure him. Try not to waste this arrow" Toneri explained what the arrow was.

Understanding Toneri's words, Sasuke weakly nodded his head in reply. However, he couldn't help but to stare at the arrow, secretly admiring the way it was shaped.

"Are you sure this is the best way to save the Moon?" Hinata asked Kukurihime, who only giggled what she heard the bluenette say.

"It is, Byakugan Princess. Me and my people are connected to the Moon's essence. As such, we will ever be apart from it. While I wish it did not have to come this way, this ritual must be done, not just to save the Moon, but to save the Earth as well" Kukurihime explained kindly.

Kiba stepped beside Hinata and put a hand on her shoulder. The brown-haired man nodded his head at her, indicating that they would have to trust her. Hinata only smiled in seeing him, and she decided to do what he suggested.

"I would like to personally apologize to you and your family, Hinata Hyuuga. And the same goes for the rest of you standing here" Toneri spoke up, his voice low, yet sad at the same time. "All my life, I always feared being left alone on the Moon. And because of it, I was an easy target by Kenrojin and his whisperings. I did many things that I thought would bring me salvation and avoid the fate of being left alone. But in the end, I had only deceived myself. Although I don't deserve it, I hope someday any of you humans will forgive me" he white-haired man said, before turning his attention to both Kiba and Hinata. "Now as for you two. I wish you the best of luck. Perhaps you two were destined to be together as a couple. Nevertheless, I hereby offer you my blessings. I will never view women as inferior. You showed me that, Hinata. As I now swallow my shame and pride….I ask you…..and the rest of you heroes….PLEASE SAVE THE EARTH! BECOME IT'S SWORN DEFENDERS AS I KNOW YOU ARE!" Toneri was now crying while begging them to save the world.

Hearing Toneri pleading like this was very unusual for Naruto and his friends to hear. But then again, they could swear that Toneri was being incredibly honest when he said those words. They understood how he was fully remorseful of his misguided actions and didn't have enough strength to stop Kenrojin. That was the reason he was entrusting the safety of the Earth to them.

Naruto only smiled in what he was seeing and stepped forward. "Of course, we'll protect the Earth. It's what we as humans do. No way am I gonna let that damn dragon destroy everything we have worked so hard to achieve! My and my friends are gonna make sure he doesn't tear our peace, believe it!" the blonde-haired man informed the pair.

Everyone smiled in what Naruto was saying. Despite being a young man, he was still a beacon of hope to everyone, especially his friends.

But the mood changed once everyone could feel the ground shake. It felt like an earthquake and it affected the entire castle. This only confirmed everyone that the Moon's destruction was near. Even so, the ritual remained uninterrupted.

"While we perform this ritual, I must ask that all of you jump through the portal below us. It will take you back to your world! Then, you must gather your friends and set sail to the Island of Tides! It is there Kenrojin is likely to make his personal lair! But beware, that foul beast may have already begun inflicting his chaos upon the Earth!" Kukurihime told them.

The group of shinobis could see a portal being formed right at the endless depths of the chamber. Still, they knew it was the only way out of the Moon. As much as they wanted to express their gratitude towards the wisps, there was no time to waste.

"Good luck, children of hope. May the Moon shine and bless your victory against the darkness!" those were the final words Kukurihime had for the Moon Expedition.

"Now go! Leave the Moon and never return! Because we…are becoming it!" Toneri exclaimed to the group.

Knowing better than to waste time, the entire group of shinobis jumped off the edge and dived towards the endless depths. But they soon found themselves in the dark. However, the dark soon vanished and it was replaced by what appeared to be giant mushrooms.

Amidst the freefall, Naruto had only one word for the entire group. "LET'S GO HOME, GUYS! IT'S TIME TO SAVE OUR HOME!" he told them and everyone cheered in agreement, despite the fact they were freefalling. Naruto was amused by how confident they were. Even by now, he was thinking about his greatest inspirations as a ninja. "Mom…dad…Pervy Sage…..I won't let you down. This world will not suffer the despair from two years ago!" he thought, determined to not let this world go under.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the Village Hidden in the Gold, near the Land of Wind_

Not everyone had been terrified of seeing the Moon starting to show cracks on itself, as well as Kenrojin breaching out of it. The Golden Dragon, having awaited this moment for a long time, was chuckling deeply to himself. He stood in a balcony and watched as the skies turned orange. He had good eyesight and he could spot the flying beast emerge from the explosion.

"It has begun" the Golden Dragon said, his face never taking off the sight of Kenrojin's coming. "After many years of waiting…the reckoning of humanity has arrived. Now all that remains is to see who will emerge the victor. The beast…or the gods….." the man with the golden opera mask stated.

One of the mysterious man's servants approached him with a bow. "Golden Dragon. We have confirmation that the Crimson Dragon, the Azure Dragon and the Ebon Dragon are with Kenrojin. They succeeded in their task" the servant told him. "But isn't letting those three with that thing dangerous? What if they discover your true motives?" he then asked him.

The Golden Dragon showed no signs of unease. He only took pleasure in seeing the changes being made in the atmosphere. However, he did give his servant an answer. "What happens is not our business. What matters is that Kenrojin does not forget where his loyalties lie. He would do well in not crossing the pact he made with the almighty Hirohito" the Golden Dragon revealed, trying to ease his servant's concerns. "But instead of worrying over something to foolish, why don't we just stand here and enjoy the fireworks before us? Let the cards play by themselves!" he exclaimed in a slightly maddened mood.

High up in the skies, Kenrojin was surveying everything beneath him, before letting out a terrifying howl that sent shivers across the world. Everything around him changed, not the mention the skies.

"BEHOLD, MORTALS! BEHOLD THE RETURN OF YOUR ONE, TRUE MAKER! EMBRACE THE INEVITABLE, AS I HAVE!" Kenrojin loudly declared as he dashed towards the nearest land he could find.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: Now that seals the end of the Moon part. We won't be seeing more of Kukurihime or Toneri. From now on, everything will take place on Earth. But how will this story really end? You will find out soon enough. But I can tell you, there will be more content after Kenrojin is defeated. This is after all a prequel to A New Generation. The stuff that happens here is not mentioned in A New Generation, but I may retcon that soon. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I sure as heck did. Considering that the Naruto Universe has dangerous beasts, I decided to make one of them a villain. Kenrojin is inspired by Smaug from Tolkien's universe, as well as Deathwing from the Warcraft Universe and Shenron from the Dragon Ball series. And yes, Kenrojin is a Japanese dragon, not a Western one. Heck, I even decided to give Kenrojin a voice actor.**

 **Kenrojin – Michael Donovan**


	29. Burning Skies

**Author's note: This chapter will take us back to things on the Earth. The last part will be the start of something very dramatic. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Burning Skies**

 _Somewhere in the forests of the Land of Fire_

With his release, Kenrojin had almost succeeded in destroying the Moon. But thanks to the valiant sacrifice of Toneri Otsutsuki and the Mother Wisp Kukurihime, the Moon's destruction was averted. Even so, the problem Earth was facing was far from over. Its people managed to caught a glimpse of the dark dragon spreading chaos and terror across the skies. It was only signalizing Kenrojin's campaign of remaking the world to his own liking.

But beneath the ground in the Land of Fire, Naruto and the gang had slowly awoken from their brief sleep. They opened their eyes, only to feel nothing but dirt below them. Having just fallen through a portal, they had been given a trip of a lifetime. Now that they were out of the dimension, it was safe to say that they had arrived back at the place where the portal to the Moon was located at. They also realized that the spring of green water was gone. It had probably been destroyed during the ritual. That only meant these shinobis were the few lucky ones to be able to visit the Moon while it was still possible. The group made sure everyone was present before moving on. After all, they had to see for itself. Had the Moon really been destroyed? They had so many questions about what had happened to Earth while they were gone.

Once they reached the surface, the Moon Expediton was struck by the changes that had taken place above them. The skies were orange as the fire itself. Everything, including the clouds, was orange. It was as if it the sky was burning.

"My god…what the hell happened?" Shikamaru uttered out, being awestruck by seeing the endless skies of orange.

"So, this is Kenrojin's doing…I never knew he was THAT powerful!" Chouji exclaimed out in disbelief.

"It's supposed to be night, yet everything is so…bright. Impossible" Lee said in astonishment.

But while observing the changes, Hinata and her fellow Hyuugas managed to catch a glimpse of something round in skies of fire. Given that they had the Byakugan, they were able to see what it was.

"I don't believe it…the Moon…it's not destroyed!" Hinata was utterly surprised in what she was seeing.

"Lady Hinata speaks the truth. We don't see any cracks on it as we speak" Ko informed everyone, speaking in favor of Hinata.

"So if the Moon's doing fine…then that means….." Sakura spoke up lowly, the pinkette starting to think about Kukurihime and the wisps that dwelled upon the Moon. A part of her felt somewhat sad over that she and the others had witnessed before leaving the Moon. "They really did it…they sacrificed their life essences…to heal the Moon…...to save it" the kunoichi felt emotional by thinking of this sacrifice they had taken.

Sakura was not alone. "Yeah…thanks to them…the Moon was saved. And it will no longer threaten our world. To accomplish such…..at a great price" Tenten noted, the brunette slowly starting to let some tears fall across her cheeks. Luckily, Lee was near her, soon comforting Tenten as she leaned onto him sobbing.

Naruto put a hand on Sakura's shoulder, the pinkette's tears soon drying. He looked at her in a benevolent manner, which only made Sakura completely fixated upon her boyfriend. Naruto glanced up to the Moon with a smile. "They all knew what they were doing in sacrificing themselves, Sakura. Instead of grieving over them, we should do what they would've wanted us to do" he told her before turning around to face everyone in the group. "As much as we want to honor Kukurihime and her noble sacrifice, now's not the time. Instead, we better not let her sacrifice go in vain. That would've only upset her and the other wisps. They, including Toneri himself, has entrusted us with defeating Kenrojin and saving our world" the blonde-haired man boosted the morale amongst every shinobi in the group.

His friends knew how right he was in saying this. But for someone like Hinata and her clan, they couldn't wonder about whether Toneri had partaken in the ritual with Kukurihime out of guilt. That seemed to be the answer. Still, it was no time for them to thinking about their former captor. He was gone…...probably forever.

Having moved outside, the large group knew it was time to splinter it into smaller groups. The members of the Grim Guard and the Divine Division had to return to the Sand Village and Mist Village respectively. The rest of the group would return to the Leaf Village. Naruto was conferring with Asami, Yukata and Hyozan about this.

"I'm afraid this is where we must part ways, friends" Hyozan told everyone with a hint of regret in his voice. "With everything that has transpired, there is no question in my mind that my superiors in the Mist Village will demand much answers from me and these three. However, we will never forget this journey" the swordsman said, with Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo standing behind him.

"The same thing can be said for us. Obviously, our fellow members of the Grim Guard must be missing us amidst this chaos" Yukata remarked, with Ittetsu, Sari, Mikoshi, Komaza and Nejiri standing behind her. "But this may be our wisest choices from now on. We can tell our Kages about everything that we have discovered on the Moon" the young woman added to her slight excitement.

Asami mused to herself in hearing her say that. "Perhaps so. But what we just experienced was no vacation" she said before looking up towards the skies. "The skies are almost burning. We have yet to find out what this Kenrojin is really capable of. But based upon what he did to the Moon, there is no question that he can destroy the Earth as well. All the Five Great Elemental Nations must be prepared for the threat he poses" she went on explaining the situation.

"Wise words. And I know that the entire world will be affected by Kenrojin's terror. However, a part of me have been thinking about what Grandma Tsunade said lately. The Triple Entente has been exposed in the public eye. The Cloud Village and the Stone Village are aware of this and relations between us and them have only worsened. They still believe that the Triple Entente was a military alliance, when it was only a cooperation between our ANBUs" Naruto told the three seconds-in-command of what Tsunade had informed him and the others. "From what Tsunade told me, someone has been leaking info of the Triple Entente to those two villages. We have yet to discover who was behind this. And just so you two know, me and Asami are not accusing either of your villages" he added, trying not to antagonize Yutaka and Hyozan.

The two leaders nodded their heads in understanding. "It's alright. Likewise, none of us are accusing you for doing that. Let's just say that whoever was behind this leaking, he or she must've had some form of vendetta towards our villages" the black-haired Sand kunoichi came up with a hypothesis for the leaks.

"The only question is who. Then again, it could've been the work of a lone hacker who was critical of the Triple Entente" Hyozan suggested, although he was not certain about whether his hypothesis was true or not. "But alas, the revelation has indeed put us on odds with the Raikage and the Tsuchikage. And we have yet to find out what actions they will resort to with regards to Kenrojin. Therefore, it would be best if we all went back to our villages and hear what our leaders have decided" he then told everyone.

"Affirmative" Asami responded, although she couldn't help but to smile at Yukata and Hyozan. "For some reason, I have a feeling that all of us will meet each other soon…only on different circumstances" the teal-haired woman said.

"I could say the same thing" Naruto noted, a slight grin creeping on his face. He then faced both Hyozan and Yukata. "Well, know that we all know what to do from now on, I say we part our ways here. But be careful on your journey. For all we know, Kenrojin is capable of harming the land itself. Make sure you reach home safely. That's all we ask of you" Naruto urged them.

"Until we all meet again…a fond farewell to each and every one of you" Asami told the members of the Grim Guard and the Divine Division.

With that taken care of, the large group splintered into three smaller ones, although the one headed for the Leaf Village was large, particularly due to the members of the Moon Expedition, the Shadow Squad and the Hyuuga clan walking together. Each group had also gone into different directions.

The members of the Divine Division were heading eastwards, to the Land of Fire's coastline. Even as they wandered through the woods, the skies remained the same. It somehow filled each of the members with slight unease.

"All these changes give me the creeps. I don't know whether I can sleep with this sky hanging over me" Karin warily noted, noticing how unpleasant it had become back on their world. "But importantly, how are we even gonna get back to the Mist Village?" Karin asked her comrades.

Hyozan rested his scythe-like blade on his shoulders. "There's a ship waiting for us at the eastern coastline. It will take us back to the Land of Water safely and quick as possible" the spikey grey-haired man answered her plainly, his gaze still focused on the way ahead of them. "But mark my words. Commander Shachi and the Mizukage are gonna us an earful for the decision we took on the Island of Tides. I'm just saying this in case you're unprepared for it" Hyozan then revealed.

"Tch. You know, you didn't have to come with us to the Moon if you were so insecure about going there. I mean, nobody held a kunai by your throat. So why bother whining about it now?" Suigetsu questioned his superior, earning him an annoyed glance from Hyozan.

"What I'm saying here, genius, is that our leadership will be upset with us because of the fact that we nearly got ourselves killed by being on that blasted place! And believe me, Shachi Arashiro is a guy you don't wanna fuck with. The same goes for Mei Terumi" Hyozan tried to explain his concerns properly.

Still, Suigetsu didn't seem to give much thought about what he heard his superior say. "Whatever, buttslave" the white-haired man rudely replied, this time earning a death glare from Hyozan.

"You take that back! Besides, who are you to call someone a buttslave? Unless I'm mistaking, you allowed yourself to become Orochimaru's test subject. Doesn't that qualifies as being a buttslave?" Hyozan decided to put on jabs on Suigetsu. The white-haired did not take kindly to hearing Orochimaru being mentioned before him.

As the two swordsmen were arguing, Karin and Juugo sighed. They moved away from the quarreling men, preferring not to get involved in this childish kafuffle. However, this also gave them an opportunity to talk to each other, especially regarding the challenges that awaited them in the world.

"I just hope the Mizukage has a plan with regards to this. The longer we wait, then the closer Kenrojin is to destroying our world. This is no time to be standing around doing nothing" Juugo hoped. Even a pacifist such as himself knew that Kenrojin had to be stopped. After all, he was destroying anything in it's way, most importantly the land and wilds. Juugo would not let that stand.

Karin looked at her former partner-in-crime. "Of course, she has. There's no way that she wouldn't. The trust she carries among the Mist villagers isn't misplaced, that's for sure" the four-eyed woman assured him.

Hearing this made Juugo smile. He understood how right Karin was, even though she was usually not the type of woman to act reasonable. But given how this crisis was affecting the entire world, it also affected individuals such as themselves.

"Yes. Thank you for reminding me, Karin" the orange-haired man expressed his gratitude towards Karin, although the four-eyed redhead was confused by this. But she eventually realized what Juugo was getting at.

Suddenly, something hit in Karin's head. It was something she wanted to ask Juugo about. "Juugo…..there's one more thing I've been curious about…do you members of the Divine Division really use codenames?" the redhead asked him.

The tall orange-haired man had to admit he was surprised to hear Karin ask him this. But that confusion soon changed into a laughter. "Why, of course we do. We're in the ANBU Black Ops after all. The codename I use is…Peacemaker" Juugo answered her with all honesty. He then looked at the bickering swordsmen. "I take it you've already heard Suigetsu's. His is Deadshark. And Hyozan's codename is quite a handful one: Ripper" he went on answering Karin.

She only giggled in return, finding these codenames to be amusing, especially Juugo's. Karin had along with Sasuke and Suigetsu, always understood Juugo's inner conflict with his battle-hungry persona. He was still trying to master controlling his rage and being careful not to let bloodlust consume him.

After an hour, the members of the Divine Division soon found themselves out of the woods, and they could spot a ship that was waiting for them at the shoreline. It was not only that which was reliving for them to know. The sea was shoring quietly, thus conforming the fact that Kenrojin's emergence had not affected them…yet.

Meanwhile, the members of the Grim Guard were heading west, first towards the Land of Rivers and then the Land of Wind. The trees and their branches helped them make the journey faster. Even so, they knew better than to underestimate the threats Kenrojin was known for. For all they knew, they worried about whether the dragon's emergence has caused sandstorms in the Land of Wind. Such could also affect the Sand Village.

Still, the Sand ninjas held onto hope. Yukata would make sure that her comrades would reach home in one piece. But a part of her dreaded over returning to the village. Some of her friends could see it on her face and they wondered why she felt that way.

"You look a little worried, Yukata. I mean, you have a right to feel that way with what's currently happening and stuff. But aren't you glad that we'll be back home?" Sari asked her, yet the brunette could read something different on her expression. That made her realize something. "Ah crap! How could I have forgotten? Lord Baki's gonna be ticked off once he sees us! I can't imagine how it feels to be thrown his rage at! It creeps me" the Sand kunoichi realized while thinking about the serious Sand jounin.

Komaza only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "You gotta be kidding me! There's a gargantuan dragon wreaking havoc across the world and you're worried about that!? Grow a thick spine, Sari!" he berated her.

Ittetsu didn't like the tone in his voice. "Hey! Don't take that tone with Sari. It's just rude and unhelpful" he told her.

"Settle down, Ittetsu. As much as I hate to agree with him, Komaza has a point. The whole world is in disarray, so I doubt that Lord Baki and the Kazekage would be more focused on the crisis rather than scolding us" Mikoshi informed his friends before facing Yukata. "You know that too, Yukata. Reckless as our move was, we did contribute greatly to the success of the Moon Expedition's mission. I am confident they realize that" he then told her while adjusting his glasses.

Yukata had to giggle in hearing this. "You got that right, Mikoshi. And now that I think about it, it's pretty cool to realize that aside from me, none of Lord Baki's elites were with us on the trip to the Moon. Isn't that fun to think about?" she questioned her friends.

While the majority of the group was confused, only Nejiri seemed to understand the humor in it. "Yes. It really is. We were all just humble Sand shinobis. Satetsu, Isago and Maki weren't with us, so we really deserve credit" the gentle man remarked.

"Then we can save our story for when we get back in the Sand Village. But right now, reaching it is our top priority" Yukata informed everyone as she increased her speed. Her comrades did the same thing.

Once they reached the Land of Rivers, the members of the Grim Guard were surprised and relieved to see that the landscape had remained unchanged. Only the sky remained different. This gave hope to the Sand ninjas, wondering with the same thing applied to the desert terrain in the Land of Wind. They would have to wait and see for themselves.

The main group consisting of Leaf shinobis headed northwards to the Leaf Village. Unlike their friends, they would reach home sooner. But Naruto and his friends knew that there was nothing to celebrate once their arrived home. The crisis affected the Earth still continued, albeit not threatened in the form of the Moon.

As they arrived in a clear area in the forests, the group couldn't help but to look up to see the skies of fire. They wondered whether Kenrojin would be heading towards one of the Five Great Hidden Villages and start his rampage. But so far, they had not seen anything of the dragon. Then again, things didn't seem like their home.

Naruto stopped for a brief moment to look up and see if Kenrojin could be seen nearby. He saw nothing flying. But he wanted to make sure that the others were also paying attention to their surroundings.

"You guys see anything?" Naruto asked his comrades.

"So far, so good. No sign of that damned dragon yet" the voice came from Shikamaru, as he was standing beside Naruto. "But I fear something may have happened to the Leaf Village. We best keep moving" he expressed his concerns.

"You're right. But all things considered, there's no reason to doubt Lady Tsunade, Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei. They deserve credit for staying behind and protect the village" Sakura spoke up, trying to reassure Shikamaru of the village's safety.

"Then we best make haste" Shino suggested before he began noticing something with his bugs. "Strange. For some reason, my insects tell me that we're not alone in these woods" he told them.

"He's not alone. Mine are sensing danger as well" Tatsuma said, agreeing with his fellow Aburame.

Hearing this made Naruto and others such as Sasuke, Asami and the Hyuugas be on guard. The Hyuugas even activated their Byakugans, in hopes of locating whoever was lurking in these trees.

"I sense something…...elusive" Hiashi spoke up, his bright eyes narrowing.

Shito scoffed. "You guys are overacting. What could possibly lurk in these areas? A ferret or a slithering…." the chubby man was interrupted once something appeared out of the shadows. He snapped in shock when he saw masked shinobis emerge out of hiding and surround the Moon Expedition. "Lizard…." Shito finally said the words he was trying to say.

As surprised as the group was, they lowered their guard. These shinobis wore animal masks of porcelain. This could only mean one thing. They were from the Leaf Village's ANBU Black Ops. However, some of them turned out to be members of the Shadow Squad, as they did in fact wear those dark outfits.

Asami could notice one of them stepping towards her. She smiled, given that she realized who it was under mask. "Commander Yugao. What a surprise. I'm so relieved to see you once again" she told her while bowing her head formally.

The purple-haired woman removed her mask, thus revealing her serious demeanor. "You're all back…and with the Hyuuga clan as well…...good" she spoke up, yet Yugao was not smiling so far. She directed her attention towards Asami. "But you have a lot of explaining to do, Haul. As does the rest of those Shadow Squad members…...especially you, Deathhawk" she said while glancing at Sasuke sternly.

Sasuke had remained neutral with regards to Yugao and the others showing themselves. Then again, he didn't know what would happen to him now, given his actions on the Island of Tides.

"Did Grandma Tsunade send you out to fetch us? If so, then please answer me this. Is the Leaf Village safe?" Naruto questioned Yugao firmly, wanting an answer out from her.

Yugao nodded her head in return. "The answer to both questions are yes. But we're still dealing with returning the evacuees back to the village. Right now, the entire village is on martial law. We're making preparations for any potential attacks from that infernal dragon. His terrifying howl can be heard everywhere you go, even from this location" the purple-haired woman informed him and the others.

"True. But there is some good news we want to share with you and Lady Tsunade. Even though the crisis is far from over, the threat from the Moon has ended. It will no longer threaten the Earth" Sakura revealed.

Hearing this made the ANBU commander smile lightly. "Those are good news indeed. Once we get back, you will fill in the rest for Lady Tsunade and her associates" Yugao informed her before facing the members of the Shadow Squad she knew. "Woodpecker, Penisshaft, Vision, Scarabmonger, Horncrest and Bigman. You're all coming with me" she told them by their codenames.

As such, Yamato, Sai, Tokuma, Tatsuma, Ensui and Shito went over to their commander's sider. Meanwhile, some people, such as Kiba and Shikamaru, had to resist laughing at the absurdity of Sai's codename. It just felt so…...inappropriate for an ANBU member to use such codename. But then again, this was Sai they were talking about.

"As for you, Deathhawk. There is someone who wishes to speak with you" Yugao revealed and looked over her shoulder to see someone approach the group from the shadows.

Ino was stunned to see who these men were. It was three members of the Interrogation Squad, like herself. Two of them was Tonbo Tobikate and Shimon Hijiri. The tall and serious one in the middle was its commander: Ibiki Morino. From the looks on his face, he was pissed.

"Captain Ibiki…." Ino uttered out in astonishment. But the blondie realized that her superior had his narrowed eyes solely fixed upon Sasuke. This only worried Ino on the inside. She knew something was about to get ugly.

Despite seeing Ibiki, Sasuke was far from intimidated. He only glared back at the tall man nonchalantly. Even though he didn't do anything physical, a glare from Sasuke Uchiha was enough to brew fear into anyone who dared cross paths with him. But Ibiki was not scared. As a matter of fact, he was keen on actually physically assault Sasuke. But before he could walk, he was blocked by Yugao's katana.

"Remember: no killing him. That's a direct order from the Hokage herself. Try not to forget it" the purple-haired woman reminded him before removing her blade.

Ibiki let out a deep sigh and proceeded towards Sasuke. They stood very close to one another. Even so, neither of them resorted to violence. There were only glares exchanged between the two.

"You little son of a bitch! You ungrateful, arrogant little son of a bitch!" Ibiki broke the silence by verbally assaulting Sasuke. "You're coming with us to the Hokage Tower. Once we're there, you're gonna tell us everything you did on the Moon! Otherwise, you'll be eating your own shit for breakfast!" he continued with the harsh words.

Ino was growing concerned for the growing escalation between her superior and Sasuke. "Captain, please…" Ino was interrupted by Shimon, who kindly put a hand on her shoulder. He shook his head at her, indicating that it was unwise of her to interfere in this confrontation. From the looks of what he was trying to show Ino, her interference would not benefit Sasuke in any way. Reluctantly, Ino stood on the sidelines, deciding not to move a muscle.

This was proven right, since Sasuke, despite hearing those harsh words, was still acting calm. However, he still wore his open disdain towards Ibiki. "That's fine by me" he suddenly replied to him, signalizing his willingness to speak with the man he didn't get along with.

Ibiki, looking over his shoulder, motioned for Shimon and Tonbo to come and stand close to Sasuke. It was almost as if they were trying to arrest him. Still, Sasuke didn't mind. He even pretended that they weren't here to apprehend him at all.

But Ino froze once her superior fixed his gaze upon her. What was he about to say? The young woman found herself sweating intensively as she was given that look.

"Ino. Because of your reckless moves, you and I will have to talk in my office once we get back to the village. Just the two of us" he informed her.

Gulping, Ino tried her best to hide her reservations and saluted towards her captain. "Roger" she quickly replied.

As much as Naruto and Sakura were concerned about this, they knew the reason for why Sasuke would be brought up to the Hokage Tower. He would have to answer for his actions in pursuing Saizo Uchiha. They were confident about Tsunade not wishing to have him punished, but she would still want to hear what he had been doing.

"Once we get back to the Leaf Village, you two along with Shikamaru and the Hyuugas are to meet up at Tsunade's office this instant. Surely, she would like to hear what kind of madness this Toneri Otsutsuki was trying to pull" Yugao told Naruto and Sakura.

The couple agreed with her sentiments. "You're right. Then we best head back. Given that you were waiting for us in this exact location, it can only mean we're almost close at the Leaf Village" Sakura noted, the pinkette slowly starting to remember this place being close to the main road towards the Leaf Village.

* * *

 _Inside the Hokage Tower, Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire_

When the Moon Expedition got home, there was no time for celebration. Most of the villagers had kept themselves inside their homes, hoping that they would be safe from all kinds of harm. However, Naruto and his friends were given a warm welcome by Tsunade, Kakashi, Kurenai and Shizune. The Hokage was also happy to see the Hyuugas returned home. Hiashi and his daughters were at her office to speak with her about important matters.

"Word's alone can't express how grateful I am to your efforts as leader of the Moon Expedition, Naruto. You, Shikamaru, Sakura and the others have done a terrific job in averting the threat from the Moon. And more importantly, the Hyuuga clan has returned home safely. I am proud of you all" Tsunade expressed her utter admiration of Naruto and his accomplishments.

The blonde-haired man only grinned cheekily in return while scratching the back of his neck. "Eh, no biggie. I did say I wasn't gonna leave the Hyuugas behind, you know. And for the record, if there's one person who deserves credit for averting the threat from the Moon…it's Hinata" he told Tsunade while looking over to his childhood friend.

As surprised Hinata was, she soon found herself getting looked at by not just Tsunade, but also her teacher as well. Even her father and younger sister had begun looking at Hinata, encouraging her to tell them what she had done on the Moon.

"I…...I let myself participate in that false wedding Toneri desired so much. But once Naruto, Kiba and the others came and attacked his palace, I saw the opportunity to destroy the Tenseigan, an Energy Vessel that brought life to the Moon" Hinata told them, still recalling what she had went through. "But Toneri came and assumed that Kiba had been the one to destroy it. Kiba and Akamaru got dragged into a fight outside the palace and they were almost at their defeat…until I intervened to save them. I then challenged Toneri…fought him in a battle like I had never done before….and won…" the bluenette could not help but to feel confident in herself.

Kurenai smiled in what she was hearing. "So the reason for why the Moon briefly stopped before it could crash on our world…..was because of your victory…..amazing, Hinata!" the crimson-eyed woman applauded her student. "I have always said to myself. And don't tell Kiba or Shino about this, but I know that among my three students…you are the strongest of them all, Hinata" she then admitted to her.

Hinata felt her cheeks reddening, almost feeling embarrassed over hearing this. "Please…...you flatter me, Kurenai-sensei" Hinata told her teacher, yet a part of her was happy to hear such praises coming from Kurenai.

"We are all thankful for you sending the Moon Expedition to rescue us, Lady Tsunade. I never doubted my fellow ninjas of the Leaf for a second" Hiashi expressed his gratitude towards the Hokage. But he soon looked at his eldest daughter with a fatherly smile. "However, me and Hanabi have Hinata to thank for giving back our eyes. Without her brave effort, we would have remained blind for the rest of our lives" the clan head remarked.

This time, Hinata didn't blush, yet she felt happy when hearing her own father complimenting and acknowledging her strength as a kunoichi.

"Hiashi. If you don't mind, I would like for Hinata to stay with us longer. She probably has much to contribute with regards to information. You and your youngest daughter may return home" Tsunade gently requested.

Hiashi understood her reasons and he nodded his head formally. "Of course, Lady Tsunade. That sounds like a wise decision" Hiashi said and took Hanabi by her hand. "Come, Hanabi. We best return home. Whenever you're finished, come back home as well, Hinata" the middle-aged man told Hinata before exiting Tsunade's office alongside Hanabi.

"Grandma Tsunade. Kakashi-sensei. Is Sasuke being treated with respect as you promised" Naruto asked them about his teammate.

Kakashi nodded his head in return. "Certainly. Before Ibiki was sent out to pick you up, we requested that he refrained from causing any physical harm to Sasuke. But that being said, we will need to have a serious discussion with him in regards to his actions. While we know he was acting in good faith for our village, he still made a reckless move" Kakashi explained to Naruto and Sakura, as he tried to tell them that he also cared about Sasuke's well-being, despite being disappointed in his wrongdoings.

"We can assure you that Sasuke contributed greatly to the Moon Expedition's mission to rescue the Hyuugas. And let's not forget about what he's been through recently. His deceased cousin…...still lives" Sakura informed the leadership.

"And not only that. It turns out that Toneri Otsutsuki was only being used by this so-called Dragon Creed for their agenda, which was to weaken Kenrojin's prison and set him free" Shikamaru added to the explanation.

"Indeed. Even now, I can feel the entire world is in disharmony with itself. The skies of fire never go away. And there's no telling when that thing will make his move to create chaos" Tsunade informed them grimly.

"But there is one thing to be positive about, isn't it? About the Moon no longer being a threat to our world" Shizune pointed out, yet she knew that better words were required. "Look, I know that we have a long way to go, but at least we don't have to worry about it anymore. That means we can focus on one thing at a time" the Hokage's assistant pointed out.

Tsunade and the others smiled in hearing her statement. "Well said, Shizune. There are great merits in your words" the Fifth Hokage told her.

"I cannot imagine how hard it had to be for you to be on the Moon. I most certainly commend each and every one of you for having to put up with the challenge" Kurenai remarked, realizing how much not just her students, but everyone else from the Moon Expedition had risked their lives to save the world.

"I know. But it had to be done" Naruto insisted to Kurenai. "And I also forgot to mention something, Kurenai-sensei. Kiba and Shino were actually very helpful to me during the trip, especially Kiba" he then told her.

Both Hinata and Kurenai became surprised in hearing this. But Sakura and Shikamaru was confused, especially when it came to Kiba being very helpful. But then again, they knew that Naruto was not the kind of guy to discredit people, even if that person was someone as repulsive as Kiba.

"Lady Tsunade. Have you made contact with the other Kages ever since Kenrojin began appearing in our world?" Sakura asked her.

"Sadly, we haven't. That dragon's terrifying powers has destroyed the signals. At this rate, its difficult to communicate with the other Kages. We only have messenger hawks to rely on" Kakashi answered her. "But then again, things have only worsened ever since the Raikage and the Tsuchikage found out about the Triple Entente. The trust between us and them are at the lowest point" he added to his explanation.

"For God's sake….OUR WORLD IS IN SERIOUS DANGER RIGHT NOW! IS THEIR PRIDE MORE WORTH THAN THE SAFETY OF OUR WORLD!?" Sakura asked in disbelief, expressing her frustrations with that the two leaders were doing.

"Calm yourself, Sakura. Despite the predicament we found ourselves in, I'm certain that the threat from Kenrojin can be confronted. But right now, it would be foolish to direct our attention to someplace else. Protecting the Leaf Village is our top priority" Tsunade reassured Sakura and told everyone about what her decision was. She sighed briefly before continuing. "That being said, we best make preparations for any future attacks. In the meantime, why don't you two alongside Kakashi come with me for a minute? We have much to discuss with Sasuke" she then informed them.

The couple looked at their teacher before nodding their heads in reply. "Yes ma'am" they said in unison.

She then directed her attention towards Shikamaru and Hinata. "You two may go and rally your families. With the Hyuuga clan being brought home safely, it's a wonderful opportunity to bolster the village's defenses. The same goes with the other clans of the Leaf" the Hokage told the two.

Both Hinata and Shikamaru agreed to take their leave, understanding how busy Tsunade and the others was. Furthermore, since the Moon Expedition had returned home, it's members would contribute greatly to the defense-preparations. It was the right thing for them to do at the moment, the same could be said for their friends.

"Shizune, stay here and make sure that everything's okay. When something happens, please let us know" Tsunade told her assistant.

Shizune bowed formally towards her in return. "Right away, Lady Tsunade" she quickly replied.

"Well, if there's nothing more for us to do here, then we best go downstairs and hear what Sasuke have to say. And trust me, no harm has come to him. He made an oath to serve the Leaf Village after all" Kakashi told his students, understanding how they were still worried about Sasuke getting a fistful from an angry guy such as Ibiki. "Besides, Ibiki may be strict and serious, but he's not impatient and aggressive. That is one of the main reasons he had been made the Commander of the Interrogation Squad" the masked man informed them with a hint of humor in his voice.

Naruto laughed with Kakashi's jab. "Heh. Let's hope not" he said, only to be nudged by Sakura, who didn't take kindly to what he said.

* * *

 _In an isolated room, beneath the Hokage Tower_

The Interrogation Squad had brought Sasuke to this large room beneath the tower as soon as Sasuke returned to the Leaf Village. He sat by a table while being surrounded by members of the Interrogation Squad. So far, Sasuke had remained quiet, not uttering out a word towards any of these shinobis. In return, they were all facing him with not-so-pleasant looks. In a way, it was as if Sasuke was being held prisoner once again.

As for Ibiki, he had personally requested a one-on-one talk with Ino. He had been very concerned about his favorite subordinate partaking this suicide mission on the Moon, despite her returning home safely. Ino had dreaded this, since she knew her captain would scold her to the harshest. Even so, she felt more than willing to have this talk with him.

Ibiki paced around his office while Ino stood still with a slight shameful look on her face. "You already know why we're having this discussion. It's all about that foolish and risky gamble you took when you decided to chase after that Uchiha-brat to the Moon. What were you thinking, Ino? You're supposed to obey my commands, not those of the Shadow Squad. And the fact that Sasuke pursued those criminals without Yugao's consent only makes things worse" the tall man questioned his subordinate.

Ino tried her best to look into Ibiki's stern glance. As hard as it was, she just had to. She didn't want to embarrass herself as a kunoichi. Ino was a grown woman, not a snobby girl as she used to be.

"I only followed my instincts, Captain Ibiki. As a member of the Interrogation Squad, I was entrusted to make sure Sasuke honored the verdict he had received from Lady Tsunade and the Leaf Council. I know that it was selfish of me to go after him, but I just had to. And I also wanted to make sure that Sasuke didn't die to this Saizo Uchiha" Ino spoke up, expressing her thoughts as honest as she could.

Despite not smiling at her, Ibiki's expression softened. He let out a deep sigh before moving right across from where Ino was standing. "While your reasoning has merits, I still can't shake off the feeling about you being put in harm's way. Me and the others almost thought you had perished in wake of that damned beast's emergence from the Moon" Ibiki admitted, his voice lowering itself.

Ino rolled her eyes as she heard this. "For crying out loud, stop acting as if I'm still a clueless teenage girl. I can take care of myself, captain" the blondie told him, although she was careful not to raise her voice.

"I know. But try choosing your paths more carefully from now on, Ino. Not only are you the head of the Yamanaka clan, you're also a valuable member of the Interrogation Squad and the Analysis Team. If someone as talented as you were to perish, our village would've lost a valuable asset. Your father was that before you" Ibiki reminded Ino, also mentioning her deceased father Inoichi Yamanaka.

Ino immediately snapped once her father's name was brought up to this conversation. She couldn't help but to recall the last words he had said to her before dying in the attack on the Allied Shinobi Forces' HQ during the world war. He had encouraged her to live on as the bush clover, which was the Yamanaka clan's flower symbol.

As Ino continued reflecting on those words, she realized that she would have to tell Ibiki something. She remained firm and glanced at her superior. What was she trying to say?

"Captain Ibiki….I want you to know one thing…despite what you claim…..Sasuke has never used genjutsu upon me…..not even once. I have never been swayed under his spells if that's what you believe" Ino tried to brush away Ibiki's concerns.

He was carrying the softened expression on his face when hearing this. "Yes, Ino. I know. But I simply can't understand one thing about you. Why are you so determined to get better acquainted with that ex-criminal? I mean, it seems to morally reprehensible in my opinion" Ibiki questioned his favoured subordinate.

Before the conversation could continue, the door to Ibiki's office opened. In came Kotetsu Hagane. "Captain Ibiki. Lady Tsunade and the others have arrived. They're requesting you and Ino's presences this instant" he informed them.

Nodding his head weakly, Ibiki followed Kotetsu, with Ino tagging behind him. They all entered the isolated room where Sasuke was being held by Shimon and Tonbo. Tsunade, Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura were standing beside them, waiting for Ibiki and Ino to show up. Once they did, Tsunade's lip curved into a smile.

"I'm glad you kept your word in leaving Sasuke unharmed, Ibiki. You deserve credit for controlling your anger" Tsunade praised him before glancing over to Sasuke with slightly narrowed eyes. "As much as I would like to punish Sasuke and the others for waltzing on the Moon, I can't overlook the fact that they were of great help to the Moon Expedition. Therefore, I will let it slide…..but only this time" the Hokage explained, yet Sasuke was not paying attention to her at all.

"Lady Tsunade. With all due respect, maybe we should ask Sasuke what he knows about Saizo Uchiha" Kakashi suggested to Tsunade. She gave him permission to speak to his student. "Who is that man? And what kind of powers does he possess? Care to explain, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked the raven-haired man, who finally focused his attention on him.

"Why is that even necessary? You already possess that information about him in those old files you found! What good will it do to ask me about that? I know nothing about how he came to be alive!" Sasuke questioned him in a slightly rude manner, yet Kakashi remained unfazed at this.

"Yes, we have the files. But we still have some missing pieces left. If your cousin was indeed murdered by your father and the Leaf Police Force…then how come he is still alive? And how long as he been a member of this Dragon Creed that's starting to…." Kakashi's questioning was interrupted by an angry Sasuke.

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU! I DON'T KNOW, DAMN IT!" Sasuke cursed at him.

Ibiki could not stand idly and let Sasuke talk to someone with such disrespect. Therefore, he slammed his hands on the table, his angry eyes directly facing him.

"LISTEN, UCHIHA-PUNK! WE'RE IN A CRISIS AND WOULD LIKE YOU TO COOPERATE WITH US. BUT IF YOU WANNA CARRY ON BEING A SMARTASS TOWARDS EVERYONE, THEN I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO TEACH YOU RESPECT…...WITH MY FISTS!" the tall man snapped, getting ready to assault Sasuke at any time.

Sasuke responded by glaring daggers at Ibiki. "WHY DON'T YOU DO ME A FAVOR AND SHUT THE FU…." Sasuke's verbal assault on Ibiki was interrupted by Tsunade slamming a hand on the middle of the table that was separating those two from one another.

"ENOUGH!" Tsunade exclaimed her irritation. Her slap was quite hard, and it even managed to create cracks on the table. That only demonstrated her enormous physical strength. The Fifth Hokage soon turned her dispassionate glance upon Ibiki. "Ibiki, you're out. At this rate, your temper is only becoming a liability to this interrogation. Go back to your office. I'll deal with you later" she scolded him.

Ibiki growled lowly, yet he soon calmed himself and took his leave. He did so out of reluctance, yet he knew better than to question the Hokage's wisdom. Ino wondered whether she should've followed him, yet Kakashi shook his head at her as a no.

"You may stay here, Ino. We need people who are not so easy to anger through mere words" Kakashi told her, yet he soon returned his gaze upon Sasuke. "And as for you, Sasuke. We understand how harsh it is for you to know about the fact that your father murdered not just your cousin, but your aunt as well. Fugaku Uchiha was not the perfect man people thought he was. In fact, people called him Wicked Eye Fugaku in the past" the masked man said, trying to sound more sympathetic towards his student's pain.

Sasuke faced the table, the young man soon finding himself on tears. Although he had learned about the truth recently, Sasuke had not gotten over it. The truth had slightly paralyzed him and almost destroyed the fondness he had carried for his parents.

"I don't understand….how could they've done that to Saizo…he never deserved it!" Sasuke sobbed and banged a fist on the table. "And he was never a failure as the Uchihas said he was! He was the opposite! Whenever Itachi was too busy to spend time with me…..Saizo would always be there….and we all promised to become great shinobis…..but that was all but a distant dream!" the raven-haired man still couldn't let his tears go away.

Sasuke's friends could feel the sadness take hold over him. But Naruto, unable to let his friend fall into despair reached out his hand to Sasuke's. This made the raven-haired man surprised, yet he could see Naruto's encouraging smile. It was secretly giving him hope.

"Don't worry, Sasuke. This time…you're not alone. We're here for you, all of us" the blonde-haired man told him.

The tears on Sasuke's face slowly started to dry. A weak smile even crept on him as he heard those words. While he refused to openly admit it, it felt great being surrounded by friends. He had slowly started to realize the importance of friendship and how much it mattered to his life.

"We may not know much about Saizo Uchiha, other than how he died. But I suspect this Dragon Creed may have something to do with his resurrection. And I am certain that this order has nothing to do with either Orochimaru or the Akatsuki. Yes, this is a order worshipping a twisted deity" Sakura began speaking up her mind on the matter.

"Well said, Sakura. All the more reason for why we must gather more details about the Dragon Creed. We must know whether it was formed before, during or after the world war. Somehow, they used the threat from the Moon to their advantage, likely thanks to Kenrojin, that is" Tsunade told everyone what she thought about all this mystery.

"But something's still amiss here, Grandma Tsunade. What is the Dragon Creed really after? And what good will it do letting Kenrojin rampaging as he pleases?" Naruto wondered. "For some reason, I'm thinking Toneri was not the only brick in this game…Kenrojin is one as well" he then admitted.

His friends were confused by Naruto's assumption. "What makes you say that? From what we have observed, Kenrojin is far stronger and superior to those three terrorists combined. Why in the world would that thing allow itself to be controlled by humans?" Sakura questioned him firmly.

"Sakura has a point, Naruto" this came from Sasuke, who finally had enough strength to join this conversation. "But even if that dragon is someone else's pawn, he can't let him do as he pleases. He must be brought down. The same goes for this Dagon Creed or whoever the hell those bastards are" he informed his best friend.

Naruto smiled in hearing this. "Glad to hear it, Sasuke. Your advice is appreciated. And believe me, we will make them all pay for what they have done, especially with the human trafficking" the blonde-haired man said.

"Speaking of human trafficking, isn't it likely that the Dragon Creed is involved in those? I mean, they did have transport those people from the Island of Tides" Ino joined in on the discussion. Her friends seemed to support that fact as well. "Which leads me to this suspicion. Could the Dragon Creed be responsible for leaking intel about the Triple Entente to the Stone and Cloud Villages?" she then wondered.

Everyone became surprised when Ino said this. "That's it! It must be their doing. They were the ones telling those villages about our cooperation" Naruto remarked as he faced Ino.

"But why in the world would they do something like that?" Ino questioned him in return.

Kakashi seemed to have figured out Naruto's hypothesis. "The answer to that may be apparent, Ino. Not only was it to divide us from each other, but also to protect their trafficking business across the world. I'm talking about the seas between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, as well as the route leading to the Island of Tides. The Dragon Creed didn't wish for their business to be interrupted" the white-haired man remarked, agreeing with Naruto.

"You're right, Kakashi-sensei. It all makes sense now. The order is using the two nations' isolationist politics to their advantage. In that way, their business can continue to grow. How could we have failed to notice this?" Sakura remarked in what she was hearing.

"Normally, it would've been easier to let the Tsuchikage and the Raikage know about the Dragon Creed and their machinations. But I'm afraid the threat of Kenrojin is more important to each of them. And not only that, they wouldn't believe us even if we told them" Ino noted before facing the Hokage. "Surely there must be a way to convince them, isn't it, Lady Tsunade?" the blondie asked her in a slight worried tone. Everyone else also looked at her for guidance.

Tsunade sighed in annoyance. "That answer is so far uncertain, Ino. But we do have the Sand Village and Mist Village onboard. They will understand us better than the others. On the other hand, I believe that Kenrojin will eventually unite all hidden villages against him. That is most likely" the blonde-haired woman told everyone her answer. Her frown soon turned into a cunning smile, the one Tsunade was known to have. "But even if we don't have all the answers, it still doesn't make a difference. Either we all stand up against this threat or die trying. Surely you all know what needs to be done" the Hokage informed.

Naruto and the others smiled, realizing in how true Tsunade was. It was either them or total annihilation of the world. Two years ago, they had fought tooth and nail to end Madara Uchiha and his machinations. There was no way they would let the same thing succeed.

But the discussion was interrupted once someone busted into the isolated room. It was Shizune. The Hokage's assistant was panting deeply, indicating that she had been running through the tower in order to reach them.

"Shizune…" Naruto was surprised to see her like this.

"Lady Tsunade! We just received a hawk from the Village Hidden in the Clouds! It carried an urgent message!" Shizune spoke up, still sweating intensively.

"A message…...from the Cloud Village….but why?" Sakura wondered.

Tsunade faced Shizune grimly. "What did it say, Shizune? What could have prompted the Fourth Raikage to deliver us a message despite saying he distrusted us?" the blonde-haired Hokage questioned her firmly.

Shizune stopped panting, yet she was still feeling very uncomfortable for some reason. She was now willing to tell them the reason. "The Land of Earth…as well as the Village Hidden in the Stones…has been attacked! Not by a foreign country…but by Kenrojin!" she revealed the terrible truth to everyone in the room. They were all shocked to hear what had happened. Was it true? Had Kenrojin really attacked one of the Five Great Elemental Nations?

* * *

 _8 hours earlier, in the Village Hidden in the Stones, the Land of Earth_

When the Moon had stopped moving, the stoic ninjas of the Stone Village had been surprised. Had the Moon Expedition succeeded in preventing the chaos. While there were cheers of joy at first, it ended once they witnessed the Moon crack, a well as Kenrojin breaching out of it in an explosion. The gargantuan dragon's roar could be heard even from a country as rugged and mountainous as the Land of Earth. But little did anyone know…..the Stone Village, as well as the country in general, would be the scene of an attack from Kenrojin himself.

In the village's tallest building where the Tsuchikage and the Stone Council resided, Onoki and his closest advisors was having a crisis summit. They were all watching the skies turning orange. Joining him was some of his closest associates, among them his son Kitsuchi, his granddaughter Kurotsuchi and the tall, jovial man named Akatsuchi. They were all assessing the changes happening around them.

"This is very bad. Here I thought the crisis was over. But now there is this gigantic dragon breaching out of the Moon. But how come it still stands?" Kitsuchi wondered before facing his father. "Father, it seems that the Moon Expedition may have prevented the Moon from crashing upon Earth. But at the same time, they allowed that "thing" to breach it" he admitted.

Onoki was narrowing his weary eyes. He was angry at one particular shinobi. "Damn it, Naruto Uzumaki. It's because of you we are in this mess" the tiny, old man cursed beneath his breath. He then looked over to his granddaughter. "Kurotsuchi, have you and Akatsuchi sent those scouts throughout the country as I requested?" he asked her.

Kurotsuchi nodded her head. "Indeed, grandfather. But they tell me that wherever you go, the skies remain the same. This change has affected all countries, not just the Land of Earth.

"No kidding! Our scouts report that not even the small islands in the sea are unaffected. I'm not liking this one bit" Akatsuchi spoke up, the tall man expressing his misgivings about the current situation.

Onoki snorted in return. "Regardless, this isn't the time to be sitting around doing nothing! We will deal with the threat from the dragon on our own terms!" he snapped impatiently and focused his attention on his fellow elders, who were all high-ranking members of the Stone Council. "Now then, Stone Council. Have you all made up your mind with regards to our alliance with the Cloud Village?" the Third Tsuchikage questioned them.

The four elders composed of Kenshi, Mitaki, Ishiyama and Yakin each had different reactions to what the Tsuchikage was saying, yet they all understood the gravity of the situation.

"Crisis or not, those we cannot trust the Leaf, Sand and Mist Villages for their cooperation behind our backs! We might as well form our own cooperation with the Cloud Village, and a third hidden village if needed" Kenshi, the elder with the long, grey hair and moustache expressed his opinions.

"I had hoped not to antagonize any of the Five Great Hidden Villages. But desperate times such as these leaves me no choice. We will find out own way of this problem. But we must not waste our village's material for war" Mitaki, the elder with the curly, white hair and long beard expressed his opinion.

"My sentiments are similar to both Mitaki's and yours, Onoki. But I pray that you as Tsuchikage still have some dignity left inside of you. Try not to forget what is best for the Stone Village" Ishiyama, the tall elder with the shaved head expressed his opinions.

"I also give my blessings to this cooperation with the Cloud Village. Together, we can defeat that foul dragon who was descended upon our world" Yakin, the baldheaded elder with the curly, white hair on his sides expressed his opinions.

Onoki couldn't help but to smile. "Then it's all settled! Friends, why don't you start helping the Stone Village's people? We must declare the entire village in martial law. We do not know for certain when an attack may occur in our regions" the tiny man suggested to them.

One by one, the elders left the balcony and headed downstairs. Onoki remained in the building along with his associates. That's true, since the crisis was not over, and Kenrojin was already wreaking havoc on the world, the Stone Village had to be prepared for anything. It had been two years since he last prepared his village for something so destructive.

"Father. How do you suppose we can defeat this dragon? It's howls and roars can be heard even from here. And let's not forget, this creature flies. An attack on ground level is highly unlikely" Kitsuchi informed Onoki.

The elderly man chuckled in what he was hearing from his son. "It's not about what we can or not, my son. It's about what we must. And right now, I want you and the others to trust in my judgements. Be prepared for any battles ahead. We Stone ninjas are already hardened from our experiences in warfare" Onoki told his son, although he made sure that Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi got hold of this as well.

The black-haired woman only sighed deeply in return. "Whatever you say, old man" Kurotsuchi groaned while facepalming.

All over the Stone Village, people were informed about the ongoing crisis, as well as the declaration of martial law. Villagers and those who couldn't defend themselves were advised to stay in their homes. Normally, they wouldn't fear their home getting invaded, given the rocky mountain ranges that surrounded and protected it. But since the skies had changed, the Stone ninjas realized that the enemy they were facing was deadlier than they realized.

On the balcony of one of the tower-like structures in the Stone Village, one young woman was reflecting on Onoki's orders. This was a Stone jounin, as the woman was dressed in an attire that consisted a red outfit and a brown flap jacket. This woman had her black hair reaching to her shoulders. She was also holding a picture in her hands. That picture was of her and none other than Chouji Akimichi. They both looked happy together.

The woman sighed deeply before looking up in the skies of fire. "Chouji…..please tell me you're doing okay…..I beg of you" she pleaded.

"Sanae" the young woman snapped when someone called her name. She almost lost the picture she was holding but managed to get it in the nick of time. Turning around, she leaned onto the balcony, secretly hiding the picture from the one who called her. It was Kenshi, the esteemed member from the Stone Council itself.

"Father! Gosh, you almost scared me to death" Sanae said while nervously chuckling at the sight of the important politician in the balcony, who was in fact her father. "What's the matter?" she then asked her.

Despite her sweet and daughterly affection, Kenshi didn't smile in return. "Are your ears not working? The Tsuchikage has declared martial law. All able-bodied shinobis and kunoichis of the Stone are to patrol the village. But how come I found you daydreaming back home instead of carrying your duties?" Kenshi questioned her sternly, his voice as clanging as iron.

Sanae felt herself getting sweaty, yet she managed to hide it from her strict father. The young kunoichi groaned in what she was hearing. "I AM doing that. I was told to find a spot and be a lookout for any potential threats. And given that our home is almost as high as the Tsuchikage's tower, why not do it here?" she informed him.

Kenshi furrowed his brows in hearing this. "From our home? Quit acting like an idiot, Sanae. I want you to go down there and patrol ever bridge in the village! It keeps you better in shape than to stand here doing nothing!" he berated his daughter before noticing something hanging behind Sanae's back. The old man became suspicious. "What are you hiding from me?" he firmly asked while pointing his finger at her hips.

The black-haired woman immediately snapped once she realized her father was talking about the picture. She panicked, realizing that she would have to come up with a lie to cover it up. "Oh its' nothing really! It's just piece of paper that I…..." Sanae was interrupted by the stern voice of Kenshi.

"I rather assume you mean a picture of you and that fat Leaf Village slob you have been seeing" her father pointed out, thus ruining Sanae's chances of covering it up.

But Sanae couldn't stand the tone in her father's voice, especially with what he referred to Chouji as. "Chouji's not a slob, he's the Akimichi clan's heir! You have no right to talk about him like that!" the young woman snapped at her father.

Kenshi's eyes narrowed in hearing this. "Statuses means nothing to me, Sanae. He is still a Leaf ninja. And Leaf ninjas are not to be trusted. They only tell you lies and half-truths. Haven't you forgotten what they have done behind our backs?" he explained to his daughter.

"Argh! You're just sour over what happened between the Stone Village and the Leaf Village during the Third Shinobi World War! It's about time you soften! Isn't the last world war enough to open your eyes!?" Sanae abruptly asked her father.

But Sanae snapped once her father got very close to the young woman's face. Kenshi didn't do anything physically to his daughter, yet he did glare directly into her eyes. This only intimidated the young woman, realizing what kind of man Kenshi was known to be.

"I have experienced and survived three world wars, my daughter. They alone can make one nothing but vigilant in protecting those you love and care about. Someone like you has yet to understand what that feels like. Supposedly, you never will" Kenshi explained firmly to Sanae, not caring about the fact he was doing this to his own daughter. He then turned around and walked into the home, but not before leaving some words for Sanae to hear. "Now go outside and begin your patrolling. Show me that your triplet brothers are not the only ones that can impress me!" he barked before entering, leaving his daughter on the balcony by herself.

As much as she wanted to attack him straight up, Sanae wasn't that kind of kunoichi. She was not someone who would resort to violence, especially when it came to family quarrels. Sighing in defeat, Sanae decided to head out to the village like her father wished.

Sanae found herself standing near one of the many small waterfalls that ran down to the Stone Village, eventually creating a network of rivers below it. She felt good to be away from home, given that her father was not there to pester her. As she stood and listened to the sound of water, the young kunoichi was approached by one of her comrades. It was a young man named Ittan, who like her, was also a jounin. The spikey-haired man smiled at her.

"Good to see you, Sanae. Why the long face?" he asked her, yet Ittan could read the expression on her face. "Let me guess. You and your father had a kafuffle at home?" he asked her gently.

"Not only that. He also badmouthed Chouji right in front of my face. That old man never grows soft. Like a rock, he never changes!" Sanae groaned in reply.

Ittan had to muse himself in hearing this, yet he knew better than to laugh at his friend's struggles. "Well, he is one of the elders in the Stone Council. As such, he's an important politician of the village. Sometimes, I think his stubbornness may surpass that of the Tsuchikage's" he told Sanae, yet was given a glance of disapproval in return. Ittan chuckled nervously. "Okay, I take it back" he then told her.

Sanae continued to look at the waterfall, watching as it ran down the wall of rock to the network of canals rivers below. "I know that the Triple Entente was unnecessary and all. But is us creating a similar alliance with the Cloud Village the best solution? I hardly think so" she told her friend about recent events. "There's a giant monster terrorizing the world. What good will it do to create a military alliance?" she wondered.

Ittan had to admit he was having similar opinions as his friend. Truth be told, he also was a calm and collected Stone ninja, much like Sanae. That is why they became such good friends while being jounins. Ittan was about to express his opinions, only to stop once he and her could feel something.

The entire ground started to shake. And not only that. The waterfall stopped running. This surprised the two jounins. They soon realized that the entire village was being affected by this shaking.

"What in the world is going on? Is this an earthquake!?" Sanae wondered while looking around.

"An earthquake? In the Village in the Stones? That's ridiculous!" Ittan countered her statement. "There's no way it could ever happen in….." before he could continue, an incredibly loud and terrifying roar could be heard all around them. It came from the west.

The two jounins ran towards the nearest tower they could find and climbed on to its rooftop. Sanae and Ittan were filled with fear over what they could see coming in the burning skies. It was a gigantic creature, a serpentine dragon filled with hellish fire and volcanic scales. Unbeknowst to them and the rest of the Stone ninjas. This was the terrifying Kenrojin, the same dragon that had begun appearing on the world.

Kenrojin landed two of his claws on the summits of the mountain ranges. As his claws dug into the rocky tops, they slowly started to crack. But in those cracks, lava ran through like a network. It soon became apparent that Kenrojin was slowly beginning to change the mountainous landscape. He was creating volcanos. Fire and smoke blew out of the burning summits. They erupted, once again creating a flow of lava. The volcanos even erupted, sprouting out rocks of fire.

In the meantime, Kenrojin surveyed the village underneath him, roaring as he demonstrated his wrath upon the village. He would see it vanish beneath the tide of molten liquid. The Stone Village, and the Land of Earth was his first target of remaking the world.

"THE SUN HAS SET ON THIS MORTAL WORLD, FOOKS. MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR END, FOR THE RECKONING OF HUMANITY FALLS!" Kenrojin loudly declared to not just the people in the Stone Village, but also throughout the entire world.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Authors' note: This is a great chapter. The next chapter will continue with what Kenrojin is doing to the Stone Village. Will he actually destroy it? Can the Tsuchikage and his allies mount a defense against him? That will be the next subject. And of course, most of the characters in the Stone Village are OCs, given that few were shown in the manga. Other than Kenrojin's rampage, we will return our focus to the Leaf Village for the time being. We will know how those who traveled to the Moon feels coming back home. Now I hope you all enjoy reading it so far. Until we meet again, I bid you all farewell.**


	30. Eruption

**Author's note: This chapter will continue with Kenrojin's rampage. Will he destroy the Stone Village? Read it and find out for yourself. The name of this chapter was inspired by a guitar solo played by Eddie Van Halen from the band Van Halen. I take it some of you have heard it before. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 30: Eruption**

 _In the Village Hidden in the Stones, the Land of Earth_

The Village Hidden in the Stones had experienced relatively peace before the crisis with the Moon began affecting the entire world. And when Kenrojin unleashed his tirade against the Earth, not even somewhere as isolated as this village was spared from his wrath. It all started when the dragon emerged on the top of the surrounding mountain chains, creating volcanoes by digging his claws onto the nearby mountaintops. The volcanos became active and erupted into frenzy, sending lava down towards the village.

This surprise attack had stung every shinobi of the Stone Village, even the Third Tsuchikage himself. From the top of his residence, Onoki along with Kitsuchi, Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi watched in horror as Kenrojin created hell from the mountaintops. Yet, Onoki knew better than to stand around doing nothing. The same thing couldn't be said for his family, of course.

"Oh my God! What the hell is that thing doing!?" Kurotsuchi hysterically asked those around her. "It just created volcanos from the mountaintops…..as if it was nothing!" the black-haired woman added.

"Damn it! We did expect an attack from the air, but not anything like this! This is worse than I thought, father" Kitsuchi noted while facing down at his father.

Despite what he heard them say, Onoki was not giving up. Stubbornly resisting his backpain, Onoki walked to the balcony, even going as far as to jump and stand on the edge. His family was in awe of how he was capable of something like that, despite his elderly age. The tiny man grunted.

"This is no time for regretting what we couldn't, my son and granddaughter! Once again, the Stone Village is at war! Desperate times such as this demands our full commitment to peace!" Onoki said while looking over his shoulder.

"Hold on! You're saying that you're actually gonna go there and lead the Stone ninjas into battle? I don't know, Lord Tsuchikage. Isn't that a bit too much for you?" Akatsuchi wondered, not understanding Onoki's stubbornness.

Kurotsuchi sighed in seeing her grandfather's willingness to rush into battle. "For God's sake, grandfather! You almost exhausted yourself two years ago! This time, it would be really great if you stayed here and let lead our shinobis!" she berated him in a worried tone, knowing how much effort her grandfather had put himself through during the world war.

Onoki simply turned around and faced Kurotsuchi with a cocky expression. "Heh! If that's what it takes….THEN I WILL DIE DEFENDING THE STONE VILLAGE!" he loudly declared and proceeded to jump off the edge and head towards the incoming lava, where the other Stone ninjas were heading towards.

"Father, what are you….." Kitsuchi was held back by Akatsuchi, who shook his head at him.

"Don't bother. Once he decides something, nothing will change his mind. But then again, he does have a point. We can't just let that dragon terrorize our village. We must fight back his threats" the tall man told Kitsuchi before turning his attention to his partner. "Kurotsuchi, we should all head there. The elders may as well have begun moving. What do you say we join up with Ittan, Sanae and the others?" Akatsuchi asked her, still smiling as he usually did.

Kurotsuchi facepalmed, yet she nodded her head at him firmly. "Absolutely! Let us show that damn dragon what the ninjas of the Stone Village can do!" she said determinedly.

And so, the three associates jumped off the tower to follow the Tsuchikage, hoping that he hadn't got himself killed. That would have only made things worse for the village's leadership.

The lava was running down what was once a waterfall. Apparently, Kenrojin sought to bathe the entire Stone Village in lava. However, his threat had been responded. Stone jounins all jumped up to the cliff overlooking the village. They had hoped to create a wall of rock that would prevent the lava from reaching the village. But could they succeed.

The line of Stone ninjas did a number of hand seals before performing a jutsu. "EARTH STYLE: GREAT MUD WALL!" the shinobis said in unison and they expelled a stream of mud from their mouths, which solidified into multiple columns of earth. These columns grew upwards from the ground and together, formed a hard, defensive wall. When the wall was created, most of the Stone ninjas stood on the wall, trying to figure out a way to deal with the incoming lava.

Among those jounins who bravely stood on the wall were Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, Kitsuchi, Ittan and Sanae. They all looked up and watched as the lava descended towards the wall. To their relief, the Stone ninjas had succeeded in preventing the village from getting flooded by lava. It only boosted their morale.

"We did it! We managed to stop the lava! Now we only need to find a way to turn these mountains back to normal!" Kitsuchi called out to his allies and glanced up to face Kenrojin surveying them from the top. "You won't destroy this village, foul beast! We are ninjas of the Hidden Stone! Our will and bones are unbreakable!" the middle-aged man added to his determination.

Kenrojin's fiery eyes started to glow brighter and it made the Stone ninjas wonder what it was. They all stood their guard, wondering whether the dragon was planning to launch an attack on them. To their surprises, he remained on the top of his created volcanoes, his mouth soon turning into a sadistic grin. The dragon also raised his left claw and moved it to another location.

"FOOLISH HUMANS! YOU ARE ONLY DELAYING THE INEVITABLE! NOT EVEN YOUR PRECIOUS EARTH CAN PROTECT YOU FROM ME!" Kenrojin declared and clawed himself onto the rocky wall.

Because of that, large chunks of rocks suddenly fell down from the wall and landed straight into the lava. The Stone ninjas all thought the dragon was intending on creating a rockslide. But that didn't seem to be the case here. Before the brave shinobis knew it, something began emerge from the lava and rise straight above the wall of earth. The Stone ninjas were in shock. What emerged from the lava were giant creatures composed of nothing but rocks and lava. They all stood on two feet and roared at the ninjas.

"W-what…what is this!?" Akatsuchi wondered as he watched the infernal beings make their move towards him and his comrades.

"OH MY GOD!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed in shock, yet she managed to catch one of these creatures preparing to slam its hand on their location. The kunoichi knew what the best move was in situations like this. "EVERYONE! FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" the black-haired woman loudly called out to every jounin by her side.

The Stone ninjas abandoned their posts on the wall of earth, and barely made it out alive. The lava creature slammed its rocky fist on the wall, causing an explosion to erupt on the cliffside. The other lava creatures also broke other parts of the wall, eventually succeeding in completely erasing it. As such, the lava from the volcano continued to run towards the village.

Above them, Kenrojin watched with glee was his enemy retreated to their home. "YOUR EFFORTS ARE ALL IN VAIN! MY LAVA ELEMENTALS ARE BORN OF THE EARTH AND MY FURY! THEY ARE INEFFECTIVE TO YOUR PITIFUL NINJUTSU!" the dragon exclaimed from his place. "I WILL MAKE BURY YOUR PRECIOUS VILLAGE IN A MOLTEN TIDE! AND THE LAND OF EARTH WILL BECOME THE FIRST TO RECEIVE MY BLESSINGS! VOLCANOS WILL REPLACE THESE MOUNTAINS! LAVAS WILL REPLACE THESE RIVERS! CINDER WILL REPLACE THE DUST! THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO ESCAPE MY WRATH!" he continued, even roaring towards the burning skies.

Back in the village, the jounins watched as they were being confronting by not just the threat of getting flooded by lava, but these fiery creatures as well. It was almost hopeless for the brave ninjas of the Stone.

"THIS IS SERIOUS! HOW IN THE HELL CAN WE DEAL WITH ALL THIS!?" Ittan loudly asked, the young man surprisingly starting to lose hope.

Amidst this hopelessness, the Stone ninjas were caught in surprise by watching five people standing ready to confront this threat. Their spirits were lifted. It was the Third Tsuchikage who lead this group. But Onoki was being joined by the other elders of the Stone Council: Kenshi, Mitaki, Ishiyama and Yakin. They were all ready to confront Kenrojin and his madness.

"Look! It's the Third Tsuchikage! And the elders! They are joining the battle!" a Stone jounin happily exclaimed, his morale being boosted by seeing the strongest shinobis of the Stone Village confront this threat.

Onoki looked up and narrowed his weary eyes in what he saw. "What the hell is all this!? That dragon is capable of some sorcery!?" the elderly man wondered. But he easily brushed it off and was prepared to go to battle. The lava elementals had even jumped off the cliffside to attack the village. This only meant that the true attack on the Village Hidden in the Stones would commence. "If hope you are all ready, elders! Like it or not, this battle will probably be the end of us!" Onoki told the elders, trying to be humorous and sarcastic at the same time.

The other elders however, was not impressed by his attempt at humor. "Hah! Your sarcasm is completely lost upon me, Onoki. Let us hope your strength is not. Mine is definitely never lost" Kenshi replied to the Tsuchikage's boasting.

Mitaki chuckled to himself in hearing this. "Well, Kenshi. I dearly hope you are not bluffing. Otherwise, it would be incredibly humiliating to be someone like you" he told Kenshi, who simply ignored his jab in return.

"We must become fixated upon such foolishness!? This is war! Let us face it!" Yakin urged his fellow elders. "There will be plenty of time for tea and insults once this is all over!" the elderly man added to his explanation.

"Well said, Yakin! And defending our home we shall! Our fellow shinobis depend on it!" Ishiyama declared and looked at Onoki. "Shall we begin, Onoki? The invaders are upon us!" the tall elder called out to the Tsuchikage.

Onoki felt no need to speak. Words was just a waste of breath. He simply started moving out, the elders soon catching up with him. They charged towards the infernal creatures, ready to directly confront them personally.

Mitaki was first, performing some hand seals as he ran towards the lava elementals. He proceeded to land his handpalms on the ground. "Earth Style: Devouring Earth!" he exclaimed and he used the ground to create giant jaws that swallowed and crushed a lava elemental near him. "Never underestimate the earth itself. It can be your worst enemy" he spoke as if his defeated enemies could understand him.

Ishiyama was dealing with a lava elemental that were charging straight towards him in a fast speed. This meant he needed to come up with a defense. Or did he need to? No, Ishiyama decided to take on the challenge. The lava elemental tried to crush him with his two arms, but Ishiyama jumped between them and landed on the lava elemental's back. The elder then pushed his right hand against it.

"Earth Style: Super Weighted Boulder Jutsu!" Ishiyama declared as he increased the weight of his right hand. Boulders formed around his arms and as a result, the lava elemental's form started to crack into many bits. "Nothing can triumph against my weight!" he boasted proudly of what he had accomplished.

Even Yakin possessed enough power to defeat a couple of lava elementals. The elderly man could see them charging at him. Despite their mass sizes, Yakin was not willing to back down from this challenge. He performed a hand seal, intending on trapping the two elementals at once.

"Earth Style: Earth Hold!" Yakin exclaimed and he created two walls of earth from the ground itself. Once his enemies were running between them, Yakin used his strength to slam the walls together, thus crushing the lava elementals in between. "Heh…lousy whippersnappers!" he muttered beneath his breath.

Kenshi was facing off against three enemies. But the cunning man had a perfect idea in how to deal with their rampage. He also took notice of the river that was running in the cleft below him. Performing some hand seals, Kenshi proceeded to punch his fist onto the ground.

"Earth Style: Mudslide Jutsu!" he bellowed and the ground before him began rising, soon turning into a wave of dirt. The three lava elementals were caught by it and sent down to the river in the cleft. The water in it would finish off the elementals. "Hmmm..…..utterly hideous….." Kenshi spoke of as he saw his enemies die, thanks to the water.

So far, many of the Stone jounins were praising the elders' work. They were all confident that they could handle this threat on their own.

"Wow! The elders of the Stone Council sure are powerful!" Akatsuchi exclaimed in admiration of their efforts. "We might actually succeed in ending the invasion" the tall man added.

"Don't celebrate just yet, Akatsuchi. We still have that dragon to contend with" Kurotsuchi rebuked him, the young woman fixing her eyes upon the monstrous beast. "I guess grandfather and the elders must combine their powers if they are to go against this beast" she then remarked.

"But do we know for certain that we can even harm that thing? I mean, we have yet to see what the dragon truly is capable of" Ittan questioned the Tsuchikage's associates. But he got no answer out of them. Ittan sighed in annoyance by seeing how they were ignoring him. "Thought as much. What about you, Sanae?" he tried asking Sanae, but he stopped once he saw how slightly worried she was.

The young kunoichi was observing how Kenshi was doing in battle. "Father…" Sanae noted, secretly surprised to see how powerful Kenshi was as a shinobi. But on the other hand, she knew that he was getting older. "How long are you able to continue fighting? Is your stubbornness what's driving you forward?" Sanae wondered.

"Ah, looks like pa is doing well so far" the kunoichi recognized a voice coming near her. She looked back and realized who that belonged. It was three men that eventually took their place besides Sanae. They were her triplet brothers: Kinzoku, Kakogan and Kaseki. Kinzoku was the one with the black, messy hair, Kakogan was the one with the long, brown hair and Kaseki was the one with the white, shaved head. Kakogan mused to himself in what he was seeing. "Everything looks good so far" he remarked.

"Brothers….you're here" Sanae expressed her surprise in seeing them. "What took you so long!? Why did you show up so late?" she then questioned her triplet brothers, sounding quite distressed.

"Settle down, Sanae. We were busy patrolling the clefts underneath the village! It was thanks to the eruptions from these volcanoes that we realized we were in war" Kaseki informed his younger sister.

"Kaseki is right, sister. But surely you are brave enough to handle the pressure, aren't you?" Kakogan asked Sanae, forcing the kunoichi to grit her teeth in irritation.

Kinzoku took a step forward. "These monsters are not our only concern. See that lava that's about to ran down upon this village!" he berated his siblings, and they all turned their attention to the incoming lava. "Hopefully, the Tsuchikage has a plan. Otherwise, that dragon will destroy us all for sure!" he then remarked in what he was seeing.

As a matter of fact, Onoki was on the move in order to stop the incoming amount of lava. They were on the verge of falling upon him and the elders of the Stone Council. The Third Tsuchikage was in the air, doing some hand seals with his tiny hands. After that, he created something between his handpalms. It was a structure, with a sphere located at its center.

"Grandfather…you are using that technique of yours….." Kurotsuchi remarked, the young woman clearly understanding what Onoki was doing.

"But is he in good shape to be performing that? He is risking much!" Akatsuchi asked his partner.

Onoki was creating a pillar made out of particles. He was facing the lava, ready to give everything he had. "Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!" he exclaimed and fired the pillar straight at the lava. As soon as the pillar hit the wave of lava, it exploded. Onoki kept pushing on with firing the pillar. "You will drown us all alive! Not as long as I breathe!" the Tsuchikage spoke in a fiery passion.

Because of it exploding, the Stone ninjas used whatever means to cover themselves for the sprouts of lava that emerged. It was almost as if a rain of lava had appeared over them. Once it was over, the ninjas of the Stone Village were relieved to discover that the lava had been stopped. Chants and praises were being directed at Onoki and the elders. In their eyes, they had prevented the Stone Village from being overflowed by lava. All that remained of it was a thick smoke. Winds also blew across the village. But it was too early to celebrate just yet. That could be told based upon the continued threat from above.

The smoke quickly vanished as Kenrojin himself revealed his monstrous head for everyone to see. The mere sight of the dragon brought fear into every Stone ninja. Kenrojin grinned in seeing them despair, laughing deeply with satisfaction.

"YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD WON!? AGAINST ME!? AGAINST PERFECTION!? YOU ARE ALL BLIND! I WILL FORCE YOUR EYES OPEN! NOW STAND TALL, HUMANS AND EMBRACE YOUR EXTINCTION!" Kenrojin roared and opened his monstrous jaws.

"That dragon…what is it doing!?" Kitsuchi wondered while looking upwards.

"It seems to have opened its jaws…..but for what purpose!?" Ittan wondered.

However, everyone could eventually understand what the dragon was doing. He was preparing to release his fire. He sucked in oxygen and it soon turned red and orange. Kenrojin was intending on unleashing his full wrath upon the people of the Stone Village.

"THAT BEAST IS ABOUT TO BURN THE ENTIRE VILLAGE!" Ishiyama told his fellow elders and the Tsuchikage. "WE CAN'T STAY HERE TOO LONG! WE MUST EVACUATE!" the elder added to his concern.

Onoki had himself become horrified by what Kenrojin was planning on doing. As much as he wanted to go on the offensive, it was too late. Turning around, Onoki could only shout out two words as he and the other elders made a run for it.

"FALL BAAAAAACK! FALL BAAAAAAAACK!" the Third Tsuchikage bellowed to every shinobi of the Stone. They all did as he commanded them without hesitation.

But as they had all made their move to evacuate from this place, Kenrojin unleashed his fire upon the Stone Village. It was like a giant flamethrower, burning people, bridges and buildings to cinders. People were in disarray. Once Kenrojin was finished sprouting out fire, he looked to see what he had accomplished. The dragon had succeeded in destroying the eastern western part of the village. It was a complete carnage. But the dragon showed no remorse for his actions.

The Stone ninjas who had managed to escape from Kenrojin's fire stood and watched as the gargantuan dragon began walking amongst the burned-out district. A great despair descended upon them, including the village's leadership. There was no hope for them. Kenrojin would reduce the entire Stone Village to nothing but ashes and cinders. The dragon could picture it in his mind. It was bound to become a reality.

"NOW YOU UNDERSTAND THAT NOTHING CAN STOP KENROJIN FROM REMAKING THIS WORLD! NOT EVEN THE STRONGEST SHINOBIS!" Kenrojin called out to the Stone ninjas, who found themselves near the Tsuchikage Tower. The dragon was heading towards it. "LIFE ITSELF CANNOT SAVE YOU FROM MY WRATH! DEATH IS THE ONLY ESCAPE YOU HAVE LEFT! AND NOW I SHALL DELIVER IT UPON YOU, WORTHLESS SHINOBIS OF THE STONE VILLAGE!" he vilely taunted his despairing enemies.

Sanae shut her eyes while tears ran across her cheeks. She was sad about how soon her life was about to be ended. Silently, she prayed for a hope to come and save them. "Please…...save us….we need help! I beg of you! I can no longer feel hope!" she prayed while crying.

Surprisingly, her prayers were answered when something happened with the Tsuchikage Tower. It stunned not just her, but the other villagers as well.

As Kenrojin was about to resume his rampage upon the Stone Village, something immediately made him stop. What was it? It was a pale, bright light that shined upon the misshaped dragon. Kenrojin became blinded by the light, and he even backed away from the Tsuchikage's Tower. Why was someone so powerful as him doing that? He was supposed to unleash his wrath upon the entire village.

"THIS LIGHT…IT CANNOT BE….HOW IS IT POSSIBLE!?" Kenrojin growled as he lowered his head. Soon, the light became so powerful that it forced the terrifying dragon to close his burning eyes. "NO…...NOOOOOOO! NOT THIS PLACE…NOT THIS PLACE! WHY DO I KEEP REMEMBER IT!? DAMN YOU, KAGUYA OTSUTSUKI!" the dragon roared in pain. Even by now, this strange light had begun affecting the entire village. A such, there was no way for Kenrojin to make past it. It was standing in its way.

To the Stone ninjas' surprise, Kenrojin backed far away so that he eventually took off to the air, flying far away from the Stone Village. Everyone became shocked in what they were witnessing. A few moments ago, they thought they were prepared to die…...only to have this "light" weaken Kenrojin and driving him away from their village. Whatever it was, it had saved the Stone Village from certain doom. They waited in two minutes before declaring that fact. And the light slowly faded into existence.

"It's gone…." Kurotsuchi uttered out lowly before her frown changed into a smile. "The dragon is gone…..THE DRAGON IS GONE! WE'RE SAVED! THE VILLAGE IS SAVED!" the kunoichi told everyone.

The entire Stone Village celebrated their supposed "victory" against Kenrojin. Their home was saved. But even so, there was nothing to celebrate. The people of the Stone Village looked to the western district, which had completely vanished thanks to Kenrojin's rampage. It was sad for every villager to look at. Tears were being shed, as people had lost either friends or their loved ones to that horrific dragon.

Onoki and the elders of the Stone Council all gathered to pay their respect for those lives who had perished. As the Tsuchikage, Onoki blamed himself for not being able to stop that dragon's rampage. It hurt him in the gut.

"Let us all gather here to pay tribute to those proud defenders of the village who fell before this cowardly monster's attack. It is with great sadness that these lives have been taken from us" Onoki spoke up while everyone sobbed and cried for those lives that had perished. He was being accompanied by his son and granddaughter, who also shed their tears for the deceased.

Sanae was also crying. Right now, she was on her knees and wept for the dead. Some of her other friends had died, and it had only shattered her heart. But once she saw his father and triplet brothers stand beside her, Stone kunoichi immediately sought comfort by Kenshi. Surprisingly, he accepted Sanae's hug and tried his best to comfort his only daughter.

"Do not cry, Sanae. The memories of these proud defenders of the village…...will never be forgotten. They will always be remembered" Kenshi told her while patting her back lightly.

The black-haired woman was still having tears in her eyes, yet she could listen every word her father said. He was telling her the truth. Letting go of her father, she weakly nodded her head in return.

"Yes….I understand…..father" Sanae told him lowly.

Knowing that his daughter's grief had been comforted, Kenshi decided to head to the Tsuchikage Tower. But he did leave a few words to his sons. "Kinzoku. Kagogan. Kaseki. Take Sanae home once she feels like it. I must return to the Tsuchikage's tower and see what may have caused our home to be spared from destructions. You may also want to come there after you have taken your sister" the long-haired man said and proceeded to leave.

While Kagogan and Kaseki were less than enthusiastic about babysitting their little sister, Kinzoku was more understanding towards her. He also felt her pain, and was very glad that Sanae had not been among the casualties.

Meanwhile, Onoki was speaking with his closest associates and family with what just happened.

"I just don't get it" Akatsuchi spoke up lowly. "That light…...it somehow drove the dragon away from us…but why?" the tall man wondered, still unable to fathom the fact that some mysterious light had managed to save their village.

Onoki narrowed his eyes at the Tsuchikage Tower. "That light did not just appear randomly, Akatsuchi. It came from one specific place in the tower….the hall where the Stone Monument is standing" the Third Tsuchikage told his associates.

"But how could something like this happen? Is there more to it than what we know about it? And what of the Will of Stone? We all know that they are not that special! I feel hopelessly confused, father" Kitsuchi expressed his opinions on what could have caused this light.

"There is time to find out later, Kitsuchi. But right now, it would be best if we informed the Cloud Village about what happened here. They should also be prepared for any attack" Onoki suggested.

"Grandfather…..will you let the other Great Hidden Villages know of this…..perhaps this threat is much bigger than what we…" Kurotsuchi's uttering was interrupted by Onoki's strict voice.

"No, Kurotsuchi. I am sorry, but my trust in them has been broken once again! And more importantly, I doubt that they are interested in hearing us. I did attack them during our last conversation. Therefore, we will stick with what we feel is right!" the Tsuchikage told her, making sure she listened carefully. For some reason, those around Onoki could tell that he was regretful in saying those words. After all, he had promised himself to cast away all doubts and hostilities towards the other villages two years ago. But now, he was breaking that promise. "Don't get the wrong idea. I am not proud of myself in doing this. But I will not be judged for defending our home!" Onoki added stubbornly.

None of his associates dared question him after hearing this. They couldn't blame him for being so miserable. A dragon had just attacked their village and destroyed a portion of it. And not only that, Tsunade, Mei and Gaara had created a cooperation behind his back. The Stone Village's research team had succeeded in intercepting those messages, which were actually leaks done by this Golden Dragon. But the Tsuchikage was unaware of this person, let alone this Dragon Creed. As such, he was between a rock and a hard place.

Onoki was right. The light came from the room where the Stone Monument was standing. Unbeknownst to all the shinobis of the Stone Village, the Stone Monument itself had more to the story than being an intricate pedestal. It had existed long before the village was even founded. Why did this bright celestial light come from it? The answer to that was simple.

Eons ago, when the Village Hidden in the Stones didn't even exist in that valley, it was the scene of a climatic battle between the Kenrojin and the Mother of All Shinobis: Kaguya Otsutsuki. At that time, the dragon was one of the most feared beasts of the young world. Having consumed Chakra from the God Tree, Kaguya went on to battle this dragon above this mountainous region. After fighting from peak to peak, Kaguya emerged victorious and succeeded in banishing the dragon to the depths of the world. To symbolize the place of her enemy's defeat, Kaguya created this monument around a pool of waters. It was on the exact same spot she had cast the dragon into the earth. She gave it a name: the Tomb of Kenrojin. The monument was also blessed by her powers as a result.

However, Kaguya was foolish to assume that the dragon was dead. Kenrojin was still alive underneath the world itself. Absorbing the nearby earth, the dragon rebuilt himself to his glory, and gain control of the deepest places of the world. From there, he drove mortals to insanity through his whisperings. He also succeeded in corrupting Kaguya, thus leading her to develop this despotic persona, as well as her goddess- and messiah-complex.

Most of the Stone Village's dwellers know nothing about the Stone Monument's true history, other than the Will of Stone. However, only one man knew about it: the founder of the Stone Village and the First Tsuchikage: Ishikawa. He believed that if the village was built around the Tomb of Kenrojin, it would forever protect it from any harm. In this case, Ishikawa turned out to be right. While it didn't save the village from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, it did save it from the wrath of Kenrojin.

* * *

 _Inside the Hokage Tower, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Land of Fire_

Tsunade had along with Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, Shizune and Kurenai read the message they received from the Fourth Raikage. None of them had expected him to have done that, given his angry and resentful reaction to the Triple Entente. But yet, it came to them. Tsunade read through it carefully before conferring with her associates. They had also been notified of what had happened.

"So that's it? Kenrojin almost succeeded in destroying the Stone Village, only to stop when some "mysterious light" scared him away? I find it hard to believe, but perhaps there is something more to it than meets the eye" Naruto spoke up what he thought about this recent attack.

"So far, we haven't received reports of any sign of that dragon. But from what the Raikage tells me, he suspects Kenrojin has retreated somewhere in the seas near the Land of Water. And that can only mean one thing" Tsunade said while recalling what she had read in the message.

"The Island of Tides…Kenrojin has fled to the Island of Ties…he's setting up his lair there!" Sakura revealed to the Hokage and the others around her. "He's planning on using all these privateers, bandits and rogue-ninjas as sacrifices to himself! We heard that based upon his conversation with the Dragon Creed" the pinkette added.

"But they won't be the only sacrifices. Think about those who are being captured and used in the human trafficking business. They will also be feasted upon" Kakashi reminded everyone.

"That dragon plans on eating defenseless humans!? Such atrocity!" Kurenai couldn't believe her own eyes in what she was hearing. The crimson-eyed woman turned her attention to Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade, we have to do something quick! I know that defeating that thing will be impossible but what about those captives!?" she begged her.

"And that leads me to reveal you what A is planning on doing. He is planning on leading a force of the Cloud Village's strongest against Kenrojin. They plan on sailing to the Island of Tides" the blonde-haired woman revealed grimly.

Gasps could be heard amongst her associates. "They plan on attacking the Island of Tides!? Are they insane!? If they go there, they are bound to get incinerated by Kenrojin!" Shizune expressed her disbelief in what Tsunade was telling them.

"Unless we go and assist them" everyone turned their attention on Naruto. The blonde-haired man nodded his head. "You heard me right. Even though A has lambasted us after finding out about the Triple Entente, it still doesn't mean we can let him do anything on his own. He will require our help. That is why I suggest we should assist him and the other Cloud ninjas" Naruto assured his friends.

Tsunade smirked in hearing this. "My thoughts exactly. Even he doesen't want our help in the message, I say we don't give a damn about what his stubbornness says. It would be foolish if we let A make an ass of himself in front of the entire world. I already have my plans for doing this…mission" the Hokage told Naruto. But Tsunade's smirk faded into a serious frown. "But we must not take this matter lightly. Don't forget, Kenrojin almost succeeded in destroying the Stone Village. Now that he has fled back to his lair, it is the perfect opportunity to strike at him. But we must take caution. That dragon's power rivals…..or if not surpasses that of the Ten-Tailed Beast's. It's best not to underestimate it. But we will discuss all this in about 10 hours from now on" she added to her explanation.

Shizune, Sakura and Kurenai were surprised in hearing this. "Are you planning on summoning everyone again soon? But they just got back from the Moon!" Shizune asked her superior.

"This isn't the time to be squeamish, Shizune! Our world is at stake here! I have given that enough time so they can rest and regain their strength. They will be needed soon. And we can't say for sure when Kernojin will venture out to terrorize another hidden village or nation. We must strike while he is still down" Tsunade strictly informed her assistant while also berating her.

Shizune immediately regretted her words and bowed her head in shame. "You're right. I take it back. Sorry, Lady Tsunade" she apologized.

"Grandma Tsunade. You don't suppose that A has other motives for leading this operation? I mean, why would he even be willing to let us know about this? I think I know why" Naruto told Tsunade, who nodded her head in agreement.

Kakashi got hold of what they were thinking. "I see. He probably realizes…...that one of the members of the Dragon Creed…is a Sado" the masked man remarked, realizing the bigger picture. "It turns out the Raikage secretly wants to correct his own mistake by himself…..he understands what his policies has cost the Cloud Village" Kakashi added to his assessment.

"Even so, we can't let him lead the other Cloud Village to their deaths. Heck, I sure as hell knew that Killer B will get dragged into that suicide mission of his!" Naruto told Kakashi. "I know that us going there is very risky…but we can't give up all hope just yet! This isn't what we fought for two years ago. Isn't that right, Kakashi-sensei?" the blonde-haired man questioned his teacher.

Kakashi could not deny the spirit within Naruto. The others also felt the same way. They were happy to know that despite hearing all these terrible things, Naruto would never give up hope. It just wasn't his way of being a ninja. The blonde-haired man snapped in surprise once he felt Sakura hold his hand. She only giggled at him.

"You really are something, Naruto. I just don't know how to express my admiration of you" she said sweetly, although Naruto could tell that she was only teasing him. He only responded by chuckling nervously at his girlfriend's antics, noticing how Kakashi, Tsunade, Shizune and Kurenai had their eyes on him.

"Come on, can't we talk about pressing matters now? This is getting embarrassing" Naruto told everyone while sweating intensively. But then again, he could see how they were having fun in seeing him like this. "Jerks….." he muttered lowly.

Lady Tsunade, are you planning on sending the Raikage a message with regards to your decision?" Kurenai suddenly asked the Hokage.

"Indeed. I will let A know of what we will do. Also, I may as well give him the identities of the other members of the Dragon Creed. But I am certain that he and the rest of the Cloud Village realizes that one of them is Hiruko Sado. Even so, it doesn't change our plans" Tsunade told Kurenai as the others listened carefully. The Fifth Hokage then turned her attention towards Naruto and Sakura. "You two may go and rest while it' still time. But beware, I will require your services once again. And it's not just from you two…but from the entire Leaf Village itself. We shall not delay our plans" she told the couple as they listened.

"What about Sasuke? Is he still required to be here for the night?" Sakura asked her, only to be answered by Kakashi.

"Don't worry, he's been sent back to Naruto's place. Considering how Ibiki almost lost himself during the interrogation, we figured it was best for him to be sent home. And besides, Sasuke may need some time to reflect on himself. Please be understandable towards him" Kakashi informed both Sakura and Naruto.

Nodding their heads, both Naruto and Sakura exited Tsunade's office, leaving the Hokage with Kakashi, Shizune and Kurenai.

* * *

 _Inside the Inuzuka clan compound, Village Hidden in the Leaves_

When Kiba and Akamaru returned home, they were immediately being greeted by both Tsume and Hana, as well as the other dogs that lived in their compound. To Kiba's surprise, he found himself getting hugged by both his mother and older sister. They also sobbed. For Kiba, it was really unusual to see his mother cry, given her ferocious and headstrong attitude. But could he blame her for feeling that way? He was still recovering from his terrible injuries and they could see the bandages on his body. Even so, the brown-haired man tried to downplay their concerns by being as laidback as he could.

"It's not big deal! I just managed to get my hands dirty during our rescue mission so…." Kiba was interrupted when Tsume angrily held onto his shoulders.

The middle-aged woman was surprisingly having her feral eyes in tears. "DON'T YOU EVEN SAY THAT, KIBA! WE ALL THOUGHT YOU AND THE OTHERS DIED BACK ON THE MOON! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE WERE!?" she asked him, both angry and sad at the same time.

Being asked about this left Kiba speechless, yet he decided to focus his attention on his older sister. While not as angry as their mother was, Hana was still crying in seeing him.

"Were it not for Tsunade's message, we would've started your funeral…..but thank God you're still alive….you stupid, little brother" Hana said through her tears, forming a sad smile while saying that.

Kiba realized how they were worried about him. To the surprise of Hana and Tsume, Kiba actually started sobbing himself. But this was actually out of happiness. True, Kiba was actually happy to be back home with his family. He couldn't deny it. By his own volition, the brown-haired man embraced his family in a hug. And of course, the dogs joined in on the group hug, given how they were also members of their clan.

"Mom…...big sis…I've missed you both!" Kiba said through his tears. It was a very unusual thing of him to do, given how he always tried to make himself look tough, even in front of his family. But this time, the young man just felt the need to embrace them. Even though they could be a pain in his neck sometimes, he still cared about them.

* * *

 _Inside the Aburame clan compound, Village Hidden in the Leaves_

Before Shino could even enter the compound, he was immediately met by his wife Umeko at the doorstep. In other words, she had been waiting for him. The blonde-haired Aburame happily embraced her husband with a kiss, to which Shino returned with a kiss on her cheek. The couple never let go of each other's embrace, both facing each other lovingly.

"My love…you came home…in one piece" Umeko uttered out lowly, her voice signifying her longing for him.

Shino smiled proudly at her. "Of course, Umeko. After all, I did promise you that I would. How can a man be worthy of being someone's husband when he can't honor a promise to his wife?" the dark brown-haired man questioned Umeko, trying to be a little humorous with his wife.

Umeko giggled. "You don't even need to convince me, Shino. I knew you wouldn't let me down…...let us all down" she assured her husband.

Shino looked past his wife to see his father, Shibi Aburame, leaning against the wall. He was first seen with a deep frown. But that frown soon turned upside down, into a proud smile towards his son.

"Welcome back, Shino. I am proud of seeing you progressing" Shibi welcomed him.

Shino stood beside Umeko and formed his own smile while facing his father. "And I am proud of seeing you keeping things in motion. And by that, I mean the insects" he told Shibi.

The Aburame clan head only chuckled in hearing that tone coming from his son. "Now that is what I meant. Progressing as a proud member of the Aburame clan. You truly do impress me, son" Shibi told him. But Shibi's expression soon turned into a serious frown once again. "While I wish we could celebrate your return home, I doubt there is little time for that. This world still is in crisis" he said to Shino.

Shino nodded his head in reply. "Indeed. I am certain that Lady Tsunade will be needing my services soon. Whatever plans she have, it best be for the good of the Leaf Village" the dark brown-haired man said. But he soon looked at his wife with a smile directed towards her. "But until then, let me spend some quality time with you, my beloved wife. I have been apart from you far too long. My instincts tell me you feel the same way" Shino spoke to Umeko.

"You really know how to impress me. And yes, I've longed for your company, Shino. Let us go outside in the gardens" Umeko held Shino's hand and lead him the way, with Shino following her quick.

This left Shibi alone in the hallway. To him it was preferable, given that the clan head needed time to reflect on what was happening with the Leaf Village lately. But that silence was interrupted when he was approached by Tatsuma, Muta and Yoji Aburame. Still, the clan head acknowledged their presence.

"Let us take our conversation someplace else. I would like my son and my daughter-in-law to be given some privacy" Shibi informed them and they all agreed to his request.

* * *

 _Inside the Akimichi clan compound, Village Hidden in the Leaves_

Chouji was met with great reception once he got back home to his family's home. First, he was given massive bear hug by his father: Choza Akimichi, who was also the clan head. But given that he was an Akimichi, Chouji managed to survive the bear hug just fine. At the same time, he was being approached by other clan members, who wanted to celebrate the return of their heir. And celebrating they would…...with a feast.

Many of the Akimichis had wanted to come celebrate Chouji's return. Among them was his uncle and Chouza's brother: Choubee, as well as clansmen such as Shito, Doto, Maruten and Makaro.

"We've all been waiting for you to return home, Chouji. You make us Akimichis proud to have you in the clan" Choza told his son, as they were all sitting by a round table.

"Because of your brave accomplishments, you get to choose your meal first, my dear nephew" Choubee told him.

The table had kinds of dishes ready to be eaten, especially fried steaks. Chouji's mouth drooled endlessly. But he wasn't the only one. The other Akimichi's also did the same thing, even Choza. Their love for food was undeniable.

"Woah…so much food….I don't know how much I can even take!" Chouji spoke up, his head almost starting to spin around in circles by choosing what to start with first.

His fellow Akimichis only laughed at his gullibility. Yet before they knew it, Chouji was already at it by eating most of the steaks. He was quick with snatching the food with his chopsticks. In the end, Chouji succeeded in eating all the steaks, much to the anger of his family.

"Hey! We never said you could eat all the steaks by yourself! I also wanted some!" Makaro wailed.

But Chouji only grinned cheekily, before letting out a loud burp. "Sorry, but you gotta be faster next time we have a feast!" he teasingly said to Makaro.

All the Akimichis started to laugh at Chouji's jab, finding it both hilarious and amusing at the same time. As he watched his son having fun, Chouza couldn't help but to smile at his son.

"Chouji…..I truly believe that you are worthy of being this clan's head. So much strength is brewing within you" Chouza noted while observing how his son was mingling with his fellow Akimichis.

* * *

 _Inside the Nara clan compound, Village Hidden in the Leaves_

Shikamaru was met with affection by members of the Nara clan once he got home. They all wanted to know all about the story of their clan head going to the Moon in order to rescue the Hyuugas and stop Toneri from destroying the world. Shikamaru was annoyed. Clansmen from the Nara such as Suzaku, Kasuga and Maen all wanted to know.

"For crying out loud, guys! Can't you give me some breathing space!? You're all creeping me out" Shikamaru annoyingly told them while trying to get a move on.

"Heh. You're finally home, boy. Took you long enough" Shikamaru snapped and looked to see his mother, Yoshino Nara standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. "And here I thought about sending someone to drag your ass back home" she remarked sarcastically.

"Mom. You're safe….." Shikamaru said and walked over to his mother, embracing her in a tight hug. "Thank God nothing's happened with you and the others while I was gone" he expressed his relief.

Yoshino and the other Naras were stunned. When had Shikamaru acted this…...caring towards every one of them. He usually tended to be laidback when it came to matters related to his responsibilities as clan head. Nevertheless, Yoshino hugged her son back, admitting that she was happy to see her son.

"Of course, you big baby. You thought we were gonna get captured while you were gone? Hell no! Not as long as you have me holding the fort back home!" the middle-aged woman told her son.

Shikamaru only mused to himself in what his mother told him. He clearly understood how his late father, Shikaku Nara, could fall for someone as determined as Yoshino. She was quite a character.

"Anyway, while I would love to throw a welcoming-party, I'm afraid it will have to wait" Shikamaru told every Nara in the house. "Don't forget, the crisis is far from over. I assume Tsunade will have me back at her office soon. So until then, save the celebrations for once this hell is over" the young clan head told everyone.

"Bu we can at least celebrate the fact that you are home, can't we?" Yoshino questioned her son.

Sighing deeply, Shikamaru gave in to his mother's wish. "Fine. But only this time. We still have things that need to be done for the sake of our home" he told everyone, the Naras cheering for his decision. Despite seeing them behaving like this in face of a crisis, Shikamaru had to smile. After all, this was his clan and he was now in charge of it. Therefore, he would not fail that task. It was also one of the other things Shikamaru had promised to his father.

* * *

 _Somewhere outside Village Hidden in the Leaves_

Since being released from the interrogation, Sasuke had returned back to Naruto's apartment. But before reaching it, Sasuke decided to do something else. As such, he headed out of the village, towards the place that once housed the Uchiha clan compound. Or more specifically he was headed for the Uchiha Memorial site. On the way there, the young Uchiha looked up to the burning skies, watching as it continued to move around the air for eternity. Sasuke had heard about Kenrojin's attack on the Stone Village. He was probably wondering whether something could happen to the Leaf Village. But that question didn't linger around his thoughts for much longer.

Reaching the Uchiha Memorial site, Sasuke took a brief moment to reflect on this place. It had been a long time since he had visited the memorial site. He remembered back when he was a little boy, when he had sworn to avenge all the dead Uchihas by killing Itachi. It was back when he thought his brother was the mastermind behind the massacre of their clan. But back then…Sasuke was completely ignorant of the machinations of the massacre, and how his older brother had been made a martyr for his actions.

"This place…..makes me feel like I've died twice…." Sasuke muttered lowly before proceeding to enter the memorial site. He kept searching for the two graves he was looking for. And it was not those of his parents. No, Sasuke was looking for the graves of both his aunt Akihime and his cousin Saizo. Slowly, his head was starting to be filled with dread. He had always believed that they had died to an incurable illness. "Why…..why did father and mother lie to me and Itachi…how could they have done something so cruel to me…..to us!?" his mind was being invaded by these difficult questions, which he knew would never be answered, due to his parents being dead.

While being in deep thought, Sasuke stopped once he realized he was standing before the graves of Akihime and Saizo. He remembered standing there when their coffins were taken beneath the earth. He was just a little boy crying beside his big brother that rainy day. But now, Sasuke wanted to see for himself. What truly lied inside the coffin that supposedly carried Saizo's ashes. While he knew his aunt was buried in this place, the same thing couldn't be said for his cousin.

Grabbing a nearby spade, Sasuke began digging in Saizo's "grave", until he found the coffin. It was a wooden coffin, small enough to host the body of a dead teenager. Sasuke threw the coffin up to the ground and used his sword to cut through the lock. He opened the lock and was prepared to see what truly lied inside it. To his horror, Sasuke saw nothing. The coffin was completely empty, only being filled with nothing but dirt and spiderweb. He was devastated on the inside. The visions that he had received from the wisps on the Moon…spoke the truth. On that rainy day, many years ago…...the only person who was buried that day was Akihime. Saizo's corpse had been left to rot in the nearby lake.

Falling onto his knees, Sasuke was starting to lose composure. He even had tears falling down from his cheeks. "No…..no…GODDAMNIT!" Sasuke angrily yelled as he slammed his fist on the coffin's lock. The young man realized now that Saizo, one of the last things he could relate to his happy childhood, was still alive, but not the same as he was during those wonderful times. "How long must this agony continue to fester upon me!? I just wanna end it in one single strike!" the raven-haired man could feel despair slowly begin to take hold upon him.

As he stood there wiping off his tears, Sasuke soon managed to calm himself on the inside. However, the sadness was far from gone. It remained inside of him. Before he could figure out a way to get it out of him, Sasuke looked to his left, as if he was trying to see someone. He saw nothing but the trees and bushes. But still, the raven-haired man saw something else past them.

"If you idiots think I'm not noticing you hiding amongst the bushes over there, then you are seriously miscalculating my sensibilities! Now come out, all of you!" Sasuke demanded firmly, knowing that someone was indeed watching him. Out of the bushes came Sai, Yamato and Ino. They all stood a distance from where Sasuke was standing. The young Uchiha narrowed his black eyes in anger. "What the hell are you doing here skulking around my clan's memorial site? Must you always follow me around!? So quit bullshitting and give me an answer!" he then rudely told them.

While Sai and Yamato remained calm in face of this verbal assault, Ino was fired up. She could not stand such harsh language coming from Sasuke, despite her personal feelings for him. "You ask what we're doing? Some nerve you have! You're outside the Leaf Village's territory. Part of the verdict tells us that you can't be seen leaving the village without our supervision. Don't forget, you're still paying for your crimes. They haven't been wiped off" the blondie sternly pointed out while resting her hands on her hips.

Still, Sasuke was feeling resentful. "Tch…...whatever. Do you honestly think this place has something that can destroy the village? No, this is all but ruins of a once peaceful home. And this site….is the resting place for all the martyrs of my clan" Sasuke spoke up, his voice getting softer at the end of his sentence.

"We fully understand that, Sasuke. But if you wanted to do this alone, then you would've needed to ask for permission" Sai informed him, but the pale-skinned man soon changed his mouth into a smile. "But then again, what are you doing now justifies us in following you. What exactly are you doing, digging up coffins? Haven't you heard about the rule of leaving the dead in peace?" he then asked Sasuke gently.

Slowly, Sasuke managed to control his rage. A part of him understood Sai's sentiment, while another part just wanted to choke him to death. Luckily, he didn't choose the latter. The raven-haired man faced the empty coffin.

"I am discovering the truth about Saizo…about the fact that he and Akihime never died of an illness as I was told…" Sasuke could feel tears streaming across his cheeks. "He and my aunt were killed by my father as if they weren't worth shit to us! And my mother did nothing to prevent that from taking place! Damn it all! I always believed they were compassionate and loving…." Sasuke continued, his resentment towards his parents being exposed completely.

"Yes. We see that the old files were telling us the truth" Yamato lowly remarked in what he heard as he saw the empty coffin. "Saizo was burned and thrown off into the nearby lake, he drowned to death. But something doesn't seem to add up. If Orochimaru nor Madara didn't resurrected him…then who did it? I have a feeling that this must the work of this Dragon Crred. Then again, we don't know what it really is and how many members it has. So far, we only have identified three members" the brown-haired man added to his assessment.

Sasuke only scoffed in hearing what Yamato said. "I don't give a rat's ass about the Dragon Creed, let alone how many members it has! The only thing that's on my mind right now is my cousin assisting that damn dragon in terrorizing the world" he spoke up while facing the skies once again.

"True. And this news about the Stone Village being attacked…I still can't believe the fact they managed to survive! Whatever the reason was, they really got lucky" Ino expressed her worries about Kenrojin's rampage.

"No need to worry, Ino. I'm confident that Lady Tsunade and the others will come up with a plan to deal with this threat. After all, we have all fought and survived a world war that almost cost us. That is why we can do the same with this crisis" Sai assured the blondie.

Before everyone knew it, group could feel what appeared to be some kind of earthquake. They were surprised, as it began shaking around them. However, it only lasted ten seconds.

"What the hell…and earthquake!?" Yamato wondered, feeling slightly stressful at the moment.

"It just stopped now. It's too short to be considered an earthquake" Ino pointed out while observing the environment they were in. "But I can see that everything is fine. Just look at the trees and ground. They haven't been affected by…" the blondie stopped once they could all hear something being shot straight up to the skies.

The group quickly jumped to the nearest tree and climbed up it's branches till they reached the top. They were stunned to see what it was. Far away on the horizon, a tall pillar of red was shot straight up to the burning skies. This pillar of red soon began forming itself into a giant ring. It was as if the ring was trying to float over something.

"What in the world is that!?" Sai exclaimed out in shock.

"That ring is being created somewhere far from our location! But where is it headed towards!?" Yamato wondered.

"There's an answer to that" Sasuke told them and they all turned their attentions on him. "You still remember what was said back in the Moon. Kenrojin wanted human sacrifices being delivered to him. And there was one place he wanted it" the raven-haired man noted grimly.

"You're saying that ring is floating above…" Ino was stopped by Sasuke's quick answer.

"Yes. It's floating over the Island of Tides. It is there Kenrojin is making his new lair" the raven-haired man revealed, his eyes never leaving sight of the burning ring in the distance.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. It told us how Kenrojin almost succeeded in destroying the Stone Village, only to have the Stone Monument save them. We also got to know how our heroes were received in their respective homes. And I know, not everyone was shown, but they still have a possibility in the next chapter. The next chapter will begin the phase to end the threat from Kenrojin. In the meantime, we may also be able to see a scene with Saizo, Nagisa and Hiruko. And of course, the Cloud Village will also be having their own scene. I will have to think about how this will end. But stay tuned for more exciting adventures. Now as for some of the Stone ninjas that were introduced in this chapter, Kinzoku, Kagogan and Kaseki are the Japanese words for metal, granite and fossil respectively. They correspond with the earth and rock-themed names of some of the ninjas of the Stone Village (such as Kitsuchi, Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi).**


	31. I Will Not Be Judged

**Author's note: For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31: I Will Not Be Judged**

 _On the Island of Tides, in the sea near the Land of Water_

Since his humiliating retreat at the Village Hidden in the Stones, Kenrojin had fled back to this mysterious island located in an isolated location in the sea. Even now, the not only had the skies changed, but the seas had too. They were in disarray, creating waves as the minutes passed by. But changes also occurred with the island itself.

The Island of Tides had been transformed into a massive volcano, that sprouted out fires and smokes into the burning skies. The former pirates, raiders and rogue ninjas who had built themselves a shack city inside the lone mountain had all been eaten by Kenrojin. To him, they were worthy sacrifices to someone as powerful as him. The hellish dragon tore off the mountaintop, thus paving way for the volcano release its lava. The lava ran along the rocky wall, until it reached the shores. Apparently, Kenrojin was aiming to make the Island of Tides his personal lair, where he would keep his offerings and allies to his side. Privately, it would also shield him from whatever sorcery Kaguya Otsutsuki had left throughout the world.

At the volcano's top, a crimson ring circled around it, most likely as a testament to the dragon's might and power. It could be seen all around the world, given that the ring was huge in reality. Many had wondered how it was created. Well, Kenrojin had used the secret portal to the Moon in making this crimson ring. What was once a pristine and spiraling lake in a cave, was now a gigantic symbol of doom circling around the top of the volcano.

Inside the volcano itself, hundreds of screaming humans were running away in fear. At this rate, they would do anything to escape getting eaten by Kenrojin, even if that meant jumping down from a high distance, let alone swimming an entire ocean. But those humans who did in fact reach the oceans, only ended up finding themselves a watery grave. Their fate was sealed.

Kenrojin managed to claw himself a bunch of humans, and they were powerless to resist his strength. He was an immortal beast, they were mortal beings. The poor humans managed to get a glimpse of his fiery eyes, and it was as if they were getting pierced by them. This only signified their end.

"I HUNGER FOR MORTAL FLESH! IT IS WHAT SATISFIES ME AFTER A HUMILIATING LOSS! DAMN THAT KAGUYA OTSUTSUKI AND THOSE CREATURES SHE VALUED SO MUCH! YOU SHALL ALL BE WORTHY SACRIFICES TO THE GREAT KENROJIN!" the dragon exclaimed and opened his monstrous jaws to reveal the hellish fire that was awaiting his victims. He held them up, ignoring the screams and pleadings from the humans, before dropping them all into his gigantic hole in his mouth. Once they were all burned inside him, Kenrojin let out deep laugh. "HUMANS ARE SUCH FRAGILE BEINGS. THEY ALWAYS BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THIS WRETCHED WORLD. BUT THEY ARE ALL WRONG! ONLY I ALONE CAN REMAKE IT!" he exclaimed proudly, mocking humanity in the process.

Kenrojin continued enjoying this feasting. He devoured any humans he came across. But these were only common criminals. What if he managed to catch the innocent victims of the human trafficking business that had previously flourished on the island? Their ages varied from small children to young adults. Even so, they were defenseless against the monstrous dragon's wrath. The Island of Tides was officially his lair now. In fact, the dragon was now inside what appeared to be a deep cavern in this volcanic environment. The cavern was something Kenrojin himself had created. He was watching something with so much satisfaction. They were giant eggs, the color on them pitch black and with fiery patterns. These eggs were as tall as a full-grown human adult. The serpentine dragon lowered his head to get a glimpse of his precious "babies". So far, they were resting peacefully, much to Kenrojin's delight.

"REST EASY, MY PRECIOUS CHILDREN. IN TIME, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WILL HATCH OUT OF THESE TINY EGGS. THEN, YOU SHALL HELP ME WITH REMAKING THIS WRETCHED WORLD AND BRING HUMANITY TO ITS KNEES" Kenrojin spoke to the eggs, almost as if they were alive. But the hellish creature soon directed his attention towards something outside the cave. He was feeling resentful. "BUT FIRST, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THESE ALLIES OF MINE ARE RELIABLE! SOMETHING DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT!" he then said while leaving the eggs to their own devices.

But Kenrojin was not the only "denizen" on the volcanic island. Also occupying in a small space in the dragon's lair were three members of the mysterious Dragon Creed. They were Saizo Uchiha, the Crimson Dragon, Nagisa Sorui, the Azure Dragon and Hiruko Sado, the Ebon Dragon. Ever since their actions on the Moon, they had accompanied Kenrojin to the island. Now, they were resting. It was stunning how they could be behaving this relaxed way while a ferocious dragon was feasting on human lives. But despite hearing the screams of men, women and children alike, none of them paid heed to Kenrojin's heartless massacre.

"Tch, this whole place is getting hotter! A little rainfall wouldn't kill this volcano, would it?" Nagisa asked his comrades as he polished his trident-like sword: Narumi.

Hiruko was sitting on the ground while doing some rock balancing. So far, the black-skinned man was feeling fine, even when the entire place was getting warmer. Also, Kenrojin was moving around the lair, thus causing some level of tremor, yet they weren't strong enough to ruin Hiruko's handy work.

"Even if it did rain here, I doubt it would make this place chillier. There's too much heat and lava all around us. We've no choice but to get used to this hellhole from now on" Hiruko told Nagisa, yet the blonde-haired man simply huffed at him in return. Still, Hiruko didn't pay heed to his attitude. Instead, he looked at Saizo, who sat against the rocky wall while sharpening his sword with a rock. "Which reminds me: shouldn't we inform the Golden Dragon about our work? I bet he'll be impressed. What do you say, Saizo?" he asked his raven-haired accomplice.

Saizo stopped with what he was doing and directed his black eyes towards Hiruko. From what Hiruko could tell, Saizo didn't seem pleased to be asked that question.

"Why would we do that? We're no longer obliged to follow that bastard's order now that Kenrojin has been freed. Our pact ends here" Saizo answered plainly. But Saizo could notice something on Hiruko's expression, as if he was reluctant. "Don't tell me you're still feeling some form of gratitude towards him. He may have helped you in your greatest hour of need, but you haven't known him as long as Nagisa and me have. He tends to only use you as long as you are useful to his business" he added to his explanation.

Hearing this made Hiruko snap, and his mind started drifting back into the past. It also reminded him about something. True, he felt somewhat grateful to the Golden Dragon, but Hiruko still had his own goals to pursue. He hadn't forgotten the death of his older brother: Hyakushige Sado. Realizing what Saizo was saying, he chuckled smugly.

"Yeah, I get it. And believe me, I still haven't fulfilled my goal of avenging my older brother and fellow Sados by defeating that ungrateful scumbag A. And I sure as hell want to be the one to kill him personally, not Kenrojin. I could care less about his dreams of reshaping the world. What matters to me is that I get some retribution for my clan" Hiruko told Saizo.

Saizo simply nodded his head weakly. "All in due time, Hiruko. Vengeance will be yours for the taking. And I'll make sure that goal does not get away from you" he told his associate, who was amused to hear this.

"Hey Saizo. Besides vengeance against your cousin or whatever fucked up people that lives in the Leaf Village, what is it you're really after? I mean, from the looks of it, there is more to it than meets the eye" Nagisa began questioning Saizo in a smug manner. Right now, he was feeling overconfident in him himself in doing this. "Come on, you really think you can fool me and Hiruko with that attitude of yours? Get real. You've always been a terrible liar" Nagisa continued teasing his comrade.

The raven-haired man's gaze shifted towards his blonde-haired accomplice. His eyes narrowed. "As I've told you before, my goals are mine and mine alone. None can ever understand them. Such is the code of the Dragon Creed" Saizo spoke up coldly. "Besides, I still haven't finished dealing with Sasuke. No, I can't rest until he's dead. He must suffer the same fate as that bastard Fugaku and his slut of a wife did! They don't deserve to dwell in the Afterworld!" he added with hateful words directed at his cousin, as well as his deceased uncle and aunt.

Nagisa had to whistle in amazement. "Woah. That's really cold of you to say, pal. And you wonder why the Golden Dragon always held high hopes for you? He was fascinated by your ruthlessness and lack of….." the blonde-haired man was interrupted once a kunai was thrown at him. However, the kunai hit right beside his head, much to Nagisa's discomfort. "Hey! What the hell's your deal!? I was giving you a compliment, ya know!" the swordsman snapped at Saizo.

The young Uchiha's eyes narrowed, and they slowly began changing into the Sharingan. Even so, Nagisa was tough enough to face his partner-in-crime. Hiruko watched the growing escalation between them, yet he didn't bother intervening. They would have to sort this out this feud themselves.

"Don't you EVER liken me to the Golden Dragon…NEVER!" Saizo hissed at Nagisa. "If there's one thing I know that I am, it's the fact that I'm no teacher's pet!" he added to his harsh words.

Despite seeing how threatening Saizo was behaving towards him, Nagisa easily brushed it off as a mere outburst. "Whatever. You think you're the only one who resents that guy? I do that too! He never gave me credit for any success!" Nagisa muttered angrily.

Seeing this made Saizo smirk. "That makes two of us" he commented, to which Nagisa and Hiruko laughed, understanding the humor in his sentence. But they were unsure whether he was trying to be sarcastic or not. Still, they found it hilarious.

But the trio was interrupted in their relaxation when Kenrojin himself appeared before them. Even though he was enormous in terms of size, none of them were intimidated by Kenrojin. After all, they were among the few mortals aware of the dragon's existence prior to his breaking of the Moon. From the looks on Kenrojin's hideous face, he was agitated.

"Quite the sour look there. What seems to be the problem?" Nagisa asked the monster in such a casual manner.

"Weren't the offerings enough for you?" Hiruko then asked him.

Anger slowly began to infest the dragon's face. He was furious in what they were saying. "INCOMPETENT FOOLS! WHY DID NONE OF YOU INFORM ME ABOUT THE TAINT OF KAGUYA OTSUTSUKI REMAINING ON THIS WORLD!? WHY DID YOU NOT INFORM ME OF THE STONE VILLAGE AND ITS TWISTED LIGHT!?" Kenrojin furiously demanded.

None of his allies seemed to take his demand for real, even Saizo. The raven-haired Uchiha simply glanced at the dragon with a smirk. "Is that all you ask of us? Funny, I thought you were smart enough to remember the very place you fell in battle. Clearly you can't be that forgetful" he remarked smugly.

"He's got a point. And besides, didn't the Golden Dragon inform you about all the details? Our job was to only assist you in freeing you from the Moon's core" Nagisa joined in on the conversation. But his words only irked Kenrojin. "Okay, now you're really starting to confuse me. Care to explain why?" the blonde-haired man added while sighing in irritation.

"Don't tell us you're still miserable after what happened at the Stone Village. Come on, get over it, already! You'll have plenty of chances to fuck that village up, trust me" Hiruko told the dragon, understanding how miserable Kenrojin had been acting ever since that humiliating episode.

In hearing this, Kenrojin's eyes burned with anger. Yet despite this, he didn't make a move to punish the three shinobis for their insolence. After all, Saizo, Nagisa and Hiruko were important assets to his plans. The dragon could not deny how powerful the each of them was, all the more reason to keep them in line. Therefore, he stayed his claws…for now.

"BEWARE, MY SERVANTS! I AM NOT AS FORGIVING AS YOUR MORTAL ALLIES ARE! CROSS ME, AND YOU WILL ALL BE INCINERATED IN MY FLAMES!" Kenrojin warned them, his monstrous claws digging onto the rocky ground, thus creating cracks in it.

The three shinobis got up on their feet and looked up to Kenrojin with unfazed expressions. It was as if they weren't afraid of his threats. Still, the dragon was officially their ally…for the time being.

"I think you may also know the reason why you been freed from the Moon. After all, there is someone who helped you with expanding your influence on Earth, after you were defeat by Kaguya" Nagisa informed the giant dragon with a grin.

Kenrojin's eyes widened a little, indicating that he understood what the blonde-haired man was telling him. "You know who we speak of, right? It's the man who helped you uncover the weaknesses of Kaguya, as well as her twin sons Hagoromo and Hamura. The one whom people refer to as the almighty Hirohito. If the events are true…then you sure as hell owe that man a great deal" Hiruko explained firmly, trying to make the dragon recall the past, even though it was a millennium ago.

But Kenrojin growled as he heard this. Hearing these words had somehow insulted the dragon's pride. Still, he did not make a move against them. "INSOLENT HUMAN DOGS! I OWE HIROHITO NOTHING! THAT CURSED CHILD CAME TO ME AND BEGGED FOR MY ASSISTANCE! HE WAS ONLY DESPERATE TO SAVE HIS PRECIOUS MOTHER! AND THUS, A DIVINE BEING SUCH AS ME NEVER DO FAVORS FOR THE LESSER CREATURES! I ALONE COULD STRIKE DOWN UPON HIM IF I WANTED TO!" the dragon expressed his disagreement with what Nagisa told him. The volcanic creature then headed towards a tunnel, without so much as saying goodbye. But he did tell his allies something. "NOW. LEAVE ME BE. I NEED TO REST AND NURTURE MY BELOVED EGGS! THEREFORE, I RECQUIRE NO INTERRUPTIONS IN MY LAIR! DISTURB ME, AND YOU SHALL BE MY NEXT SACRIFICES!" Kenrojin then roared, his titanic voice booming out from the cavern itself.

This left the three terrorists to themselves once again. "Tch…...that thing is definitely a headache! It sure got some nerves in treating us like trash, given what we have done for him!" Hiruko expressed his dissatisfaction over being treated this way by Kenrojin.

Saizo only huffed in return, indicating that he didn't take the dragon's threats for real. He looked at his right hand and black flame began enveloping around it. "Perhaps. But it won't be long before Kenrojin himself will submit to my will. The power of the Black Flame will make sure it happens" the raven-haired man told his comrades.

"If I could ask you one thing, Saizo. What is the origins of this power of yours? It's not the sword of yours, is it?" Nagisa asked him, admitting he was curious to know more about the black flames brewing within Saizo himself.

The young man's crimson eyes narrowed in anger. "Why are you asking me that? The answer is painfully obvious, Nagisa" he said before glancing at the swordsman. "You have also seen it, haven't you? The realm that lies beyond the Afterworld…the one that is much larger and unforgiving.…that is the Underworld…where unwilling souls are dragged into endless pits of torture and pain" Saizo added while explaining something that caught the interest of both Nagisa and Hiruko.

Nagisa was surprised for a moment, yet he soon narrowed his fiery eyes with nothing but resentment. "Yeah…...that world is deep…deeper than the depths of the oceans themselves" the swordsman noted warily, before being reminded of how he got there. "Damn you, Mangetsu. You betrayed our friendship by sending me to that hideous place!" he thought about his childhood friend, whom he had liked and respected before their duel which had resulted in Nagisa's death. But then again, Nagisa had only gotten back at Mangetsu with his premature death.

Hiruko was slowly getting creeped out by all this talk about the Underworld. To him, it sounded like a place for those condemned, the opposite of the Afterworld. But could condemned people go to Afterworld despite their wrongdoings in life? The black-skinned man was in deep thought about this question.

"Let's not lose focus on what really matters here. Soon, people will come for us upon this wretched island. I am certain everyone will know we each of us are, as well as the gaining knowledge of the Dragon Creed. And this, we must be prepared when the time comes" Saizo told his friends, still treating them as if they were close friends. The raven-haired man then turned his focus to the large cavern where Kenrojin was currently resting with his eggs. "Now as for him, he may want us to deal with every intruder. But we will ignore his commands. As such, we will just eliminate the targets we see fit. You both know what I'm talking about" he then explained how they would "defend" Kenrojin.

Cocky grins appeared on the faces of Nagisa and Hiruko. "Oh, we sure do!" Nagisa said while resting his sparkling sword on his right shoulder. "We take out those we want. The rest can go to hell for all we care! We might as well let Kenrojin eat them" he smugly suggested to his comrades.

"Indeed. The people who come here surely are interested in rescuing the remaining crooks on this piece of dirt. Therefore, their priorities may be them instead of us. We may use that to our advantage" Hiruko agreed with what Nagisa suggested.

"Then we know what happens next. It's the part where we will get to fight those we want" Saizo informed his comrades.

* * *

 _Somewhere at the eastern coastline of the Land of Lighting_

The Land of Lightning had a very crooked coastline that displayed an impressive oceanic beauty. But in times like these, such things were gone. The burning skies, as well as the unruly seas and giant crimson ring in the sky only ruined the atmosphere of a wonderful, natural scenery. Another factor was this place at the coastline was the location of a Cloud Village war camp. Many tents had been set up and a large ship was docked at the shores. The largest of these white tents was where the Fourth Raikage was residing in, as well as the place where he conferred with his advisors and other strong shinobi of the village.

Inside the tent, a round table had been placed and by it sat every important villager. The only thing who was not present was Killer B. Many wondered why, yet only A and his closest associates knew the reason. The Raikage had ordered him to check see if Genbu, commonly known as the Island Turtle, was still alive. They had been worried about whether Kenrojin had unleashed his wrath upon the gigantic turtle. But in the meantime, A had gathered all the strongest shinobis to the Land of Lighting's eastern coastline and was ready to commence an assault on the Island of Tides.

But the Raikage was not pleased with having this meeting, and his fellow ninjas of the Cloud could see that based upon his expression. He faced everyone with his usual stern expression, even though a hint of sadness could be seen.

"All of you know why I have called to you this meeting. Our world has been transferred from one crisis to another. And this one is affecting our world. We all know that this crazed dragon almost succeeded in razing the Hidden Stone Village to cinders. But somehow, the attack was averted. Yet the threat is far from over" A said and looked on a map that showed everyone the sea between the Land of Lighting and Land of Water. "If our sources are correct, the dragon seemed to have fled to an island somewhere near the Land of Water. And this crimson ring formed in the sky has given us this island's location. We will sail across the seas and reach it to end this dragon's misery" the Raikage informed everyone as he pointed his finger at an island on the map, which was indeed the Island of Tides.

The regiment of Cloud ninjas he had gathered for this risky mission consisted of those whom A considered to be valuable members to the village. Among them were his advisors Darui and Cee, as well as Samui, Karui, Omoi, Atsui, Tenga, Tango, Jei, Key and Kiyoi Yotsuki. Some of these proud shinobis had managed to survive the Fourth Shinobi World War, as well as the events leading up to it. In fact, both Jei and Kiyoi had been briefly captured and tortured by Sasuke when he was a member of the Akatsuki. But still, they had managed to survive it and continued to serve the Cloud Village and its people. Now, they were once again called into service by the Raikage himself.

"However, through our sources, we have discovered something we really hoped we would never have to…" A spoke up, a hint of regret could be heard in his voice. It was as if he was reluctant to tell them about this. "We discovered that one of these three strangers who happened to side with that dragon…..as well as assisting with it's rampage…is a Sado….or specifically…Hiruko Sado" the Raikage uttered, trying his best not to let tears fall from his eyes.

The sitting shinobis around him all gasped in disbelief. They couldn't believe their own ears in what their superior was revealing. Most of them had difficulties in accepting that revelation, even the Raikage's closest advisors.

"Hiruko Sado…the younger brother of Hyakushige Sado….." Darui spoke up, he too stunned by hearing this.

"Lord Raikage, surely there must be some misunderstanding to this revelation. I mean, can our spies be for sure that…" Cee was expressing his reluctance in accepting the news.

But the blonde-haired man's opposition were struck down by an angry and slightly teared glare from A himself. "QUIT BULLSHITTING ME, CEE!" the Raikage lashed out at his advisor, yet the mighty shinobi soon found himself hanging his head in shame. "There's no point in denying it anymore. The banishment of the Sado clan has not led to the results I had hoped for. Instead, it has contributed to corrupting great assets of the Cloud Village! How could I have been so blind!?" A asked himself, his voice now in a much lower volume.

Everyone looked at the Fourth Raikage with a sympathetic expression on their faces. They couldn't blame A for feeling this way, as a matter of fact Karui, Omoi and even the usually serious Samui were all slowly having tears streaming from their eyes. They too remembered that awful day of the Sado clan's coup attempt, which had only ended up in human lives being lost. Such event was unnecessary, especially since it happened in a time when the entire village were grieving together over the loss of lives during the world war.

"We feel your pain, Lord Raikage. Cause we were all there when it happened" Darui spoke up, his voice as soft as his superior's.

"But what choice did we have? There was no other way to stop this…" Cee spoke up lowly, only to be interrupted once again. But this time, it was not A.

"TO HELL WITH YOUR NO OTHER WAY BULLSHIT!" Karui lashed out against him, the red-haired woman expressing her hostility towards Cee's attempt to downplay the events. "YOU SAY AS IF TAKING THOSE LIVES WERE OKAY! WELL FOR ME, IT WAS NOT OKAY! IT WAS NOT OKAY TO TAKE HIKUI'S LIFE AWAY!" she added, thinking about her teammate, who perished during the fight to end the coup attempt.

But Omoi, who was also a teammate of Hikui, stepped up to Karui's aggressiveness. "Will you shut up!? Your tantrum's very unwelcome, so put a cork in your mouth!" he scolded Karui, yet he soon became a target of her verbal assault.

"SCREW YOU, OMOI! YOU'RE NOT EVEN…." Karui was interrupted once she could hear a familiar voice inside the tent.

She wasn't alone. Even the other Cloud ninjas focused their attention on someone who had entered the tent. They did that as soon as they heard his voice.

"So this is where you guys have been, huh? Talk about being secretive as hell!" it was Killer B, the Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tailed Ox entering the tent, but he was not alone. Joining him was a childhood friend of his, the man named Motoi. Motoi was the Cloud ninja who was stationed on Genbu, and he still continued to do so even after reconciling with B. The Jinchuuriki scowled in seeing the shinobis gathered around the table. "You've no idea how pissed off I am right now" the rapper/poet expressed his dissatisfaction in what he was seeing.

The Cloud ninjas each had different reactions in seeing Killer B standing there, yet they had one thing in common: they were stunned.

"Master Killer B!" Karui and Omoi said in unison, feeling caught red-handed by B, given that none of them had bothered mentioning this meeting to him.

"Lord Jinchuuriki!" Darui and Cee said in unison, the two advisors now focusing on A. They knew that once again, things were about to get ugly between the two brothers.

"Why are you here, B? Didn't I tell you to go and see if Genbu was damaged by the dragon's rampage?" A lowly, yet resentfully asked, soon directing his stern glance at Motoi. "You simpleton! Didn't I tell you to keep him on the Island Turtle and not letting him know of our mission!? Damn it, Motoi!" he cursed at the shinobi.

Motoi was sweating intensively and quickly bowed to A with formality. "Forgive me, Lord Raikage. But Killer B insisted on knowing about your next move. I could not bring myself to deceive him! It just wasn't right! Surely you understand this!" he tried to justify his actions, hoping that it would soften the Raikage's heart.

Unfortunately, Motoi's pleas fell on deaf ears. "Your excuses are insufficient! This was supposed to be kept secret from Killer B! Why can't you…" before A could continue scolding him, Killer B intervened and stood in front of Motoi. Now, he was prepared to face his older brother. Motoi was himself stunned in seeing B standing up for him.

"Quit giving him all this crap for nothin'! Motoi did the right thing telling me! How could you have kept this mission hidden from me!? Why didn't you tell me of your plans on finding that damn dragon's lair!?" Killer B demanded an answer out of A, not backing down from getting a word out of his brother. "Listen, I've heard everything that's been said up until now. You plan on going after him…...going after Hiruko!" the man with sunglasses then added, confirming the fact he had been eavesdropping on the conversation earlier.

A rose up from his seat and glanced at B with slightly teared eyes. "For a good reason! While all of us will deal with that dragon, you will be stationed back at the Cloud Village. We can't risk getting it exposed for our enemies! Do not make this harder for us, B!" the Fourth Raikage explained.

Still, Killer B refused to quit. "Enemies? You're the one who made a big deal out of this Triple Entente you despised so much, you fool! Therefore, it's safe to say that you made them out to be our enemies!" the Jinchuuriki reminded A about his diplomatic actions. "But even though you distrusted them once again, you've been sending messages to the Leaf, Sand and Mist about your actions, haven't you!? You're telling them you plan on striking down that dragon! But above all, you're going after Hiruko!" B added to his outburst.

"What other choice is there, B!? This isn't the time to regret on what we couldn't do two years ago!" A eruptively snapped, yet he soon calmed himself. The Raikage was deciding to get more personal with regards to his adoptive younger brother. "Ever since that day, you have always scolded me for being a pathetic leader, a far cry from the compassionate one that had emerged in wake of the world war. You are right to say such things to me, B. I do really have problems changing my point of view. It will take more to open my eyes. So therefore, there only one thing left for me to do: reveal the truth and be judged. The other Kages around the world have been notified about my plans. I will go to that island and make up for my failures as a Raikage" he revealed to B, his voice bearing hints of sadness.

Killer B was stung by hearing what his adoptive brother told him. It almost made him sad, which was a rare thing for someone like B to be. But as A took his leave, he took one final glance at B as he got held up by Cloud ninjas.

"Wait! What the hell's that supposed to mean!? I mean, what do you even hope to accomplish by doing this, A!?" B demanded an answer out of A. He was not yet finished. "Are you still worried that I'll only get in your way again!? Goddamnit, bro! You can't handle this pain on your own! You need my help! We're both in this together, aren't we!?" B added to his passionate plea.

So far, A had continued to glance at B with his teary eyes. From what B could tell, it was as if his brother was not happy to do this. Even so, this had to be done. After glancing at B for a few more seconds, he made a gesture with his right hand towards his colleagues, who then proceeded to knock B out cold. They managed to hit right behind his head, thus rendering the powerful Jinchuuriki unconscious for about a half hour. That gave A and his regiment of Cloud ninjas enough time to set sail for the Island of Tides.

But before walking away, A looked at Motoi one last time. "Make sure he gets back home safely. And this time, you better not screw this up!" the Raikage told Killer B's childhood friend.

Motoi sighed deeply in return. "Yes. I understand. If that is what's in the best interest of B, then I see no reason to disagree. I will fulfill my order" he assured his superior, even though a part of him was reluctant to prevent B from assisting A. He also knew the animosity that existed between the two brothers.

Motoi picked up Killer B and was accompanied by several Cloud ninjas who stood guard in the camp. They would take him back to the village safely. In the meantime, A and his regiment of elite ninjas would set sail for the Island of Tides, braving the stormy seas and put an end to Kenrojin's madness once and for all. But for A, this was something much more personal.

As the regiment left the coastline and sailed straight into the sea, the Fourth Raikage was in deep thought amidst all this commotion. Even though there were big waves, it didn't stop him from reflecting on his actions. He let his comrades worry about the sailing.

"A fight is about who is left standing in the end. Nothing else" the Raikage said those words to himself, before opening his eyes. Those words were something he had once exchanged between him and Hyakushige. A was facing the direction in which the island was located. "It's time to end this nightmare once and for all…Hiruko. Forgive me Hyakushige…but I'm afraid I must do this" he added, his voice filled with regret inside.

* * *

 _On a cliff overlooking the Village Hidden in the Sand, the Land of Wind_

The formation of this crimson ring above the sky had caught the attention of everyone across the world, not the least in the Land of Wind. The nation's population, which was used to having pitch black nights with a pale Moon glowing, were horrified by the burning skies that had replaced them. In the endless deserts, hurricanes and typhoons were blowing stronger, as a result of Kenrojin's actions. Luckily, people were safe in their homes, particularly in the Sand Village.

Standing on a cliff overlooking the village, the Fifth Kazekage Gaara was now assessing these changes to the atmosphere, along with his siblings and advisors. Before going up the cliff, Gaara had been happily welcoming back the members of the Grim Guard who had partaken a daring but dangerous trip to the Moon. He was pleased to see everyone alive. But the young Kazekage was not alone.

Even the usually cold and hardhanded Baki was filled with relief in seeing his subordinates returning home safely, and it almost brought him to tears. As much as the Commander of the Grim Guard wanted to scold his second-in-command for her foolhardy actions, he felt rather proud of what Yukata had done by leading these newbies.

"The weather has gotten harsher since that "thing" appeared!" Kankuro noted grimly to himself while observing the storms happening outside the village.

"Indeed. It's too dangerous even for us to venture through the desert" Temari agreed, before she looked at her youngest brother. "Gaara. If necessary, we could send out our best users of wind-based jutsu to deal with this problem" she advised him.

The young Kazekage nodded his head in agreement. "Your suggestion shows promise, Temari. But let's not forget about what we are really up against. That horrendous dragon continues to wreak havoc upon our world. It would be wise not to take its threats lightly" Gaara informed his siblings and advisors, before deciding to move into more pressing matters. "And that leads me to inform you about something very disturbing. It has something to do with the leaks that got into the ears of the Tsuchikage and the Raikage" he then revealed to them.

They all widened in surprise in hearing Gaara's revelation. "Lord Kazekage…are you saying that you know for certain who leaked information of the Triple Entente to those villages?" Baki asked him, wanting to know more about the news.

"Our sources have been unable to identify the suspect. But from what we can understand, this hacker supposedly did this inside the Land of Wind…..or more specifically the Sand Village" Gaara informed them grimly.

"What!? So does that mean this hacker must've somehow infiltrated the village and gotten hold of ANBU's files?" Kankuro wondered aloud, his aggression starting to take hold. "But that means we've been hacked! Infiltrated! What kind of bastard could possibly pull off something like that!?" he was furious.

"This infiltrator must've had some knowledge about the Sand Village and it's people" Matsuri said, yet the young woman's eyes soon widened in realization. "Wait! Could it be that…..this infiltrtator is a member of the ANBU Black Ops!?" she then expressed her fears.

"If that's the case…...then how come we have failed to take notice of it?" Temari was pondering over that question. "The coup that was attempted by Tojuro and his allies have been stopped, their threat is over…but who else could've had some form of vendetta towards the Sand Village?" the dark blonde-haired woman wondered in her head.

Baki scowled in what he was hearing. "Tch. Tojuro…once a scumbag, always a scumbag" the masked man expressed his distaste of the elder.

Sometime prior to the end of the world war, an ambitious member of the Sand Council sought to undermine Gaara's leadership and dictate the Sand Village was he saw fit. It was the elder named Tojuro. Although he had served the village faithfully during his youth, his sense of wisdom and honor had completely vanished as he got older. Similar to other shinobi elders such as Danzo Shimura from the Leaf Village, Tojuro secretly undermined Gaara behind his back and sought to instigate a rebellion against him. In addition, Tojuro also wanted to become the next head of the Sand Council by ousting Ebizo. But his plans were discovered and Tojuro and his allies were all imprisoned and declared traitors for conspiring against the Sand Village. As much as people wanted them executed, Gaara ruled it out, wanting to prove every people of the Sand how he was a compassionate leader by sparing their lives.

As they were pondering over who could've been responsible for the leak, the Fifth Kazekage and his allies were interrupted by the arrival of Yukata, the second-in-command of the Grim Guard. She was accompanied by Satetsu and Isago, two other members of the secret branch. From the looks of it, they seemed frantic.

"Lord Kazekage! Lord Baki! You have to come quick! It's that treacherous Tojuro and his conspirators!" the young woman franticly called out to them.

Gaara's eyes widened in shock, as did the others. "Tojuro? Tell me what it is" the red-haired man asked Yukata.

"They've broken free of their prison and have somehow managed to escape the village!" Yukata revealed to them. "We saw many guards lying unconscious. And two of them are dead!" she added to her sadness in seeing dead bodies.

"That son of a bitch! Where did that old bastard go!?" Kankuro snapped and faced his siblings. "We best search through the entire village! He couldn't have gotten far away from the prison!" he told them.

"But even if they did escape, what hope could they have in surviving the harsh storms in the desert?" Temari wondered before facing Baki. "Baki. Call forth the Grim Guard! Begin a search throughout the village for any clues to where that rat and his pack are hiding!" she commanded him.

Baki saluted in return. "Right away, Lady Temari. I'll let them know of it as soon as possible" he replied before looking at Yukata. "Yukata. I believe you have also come her to inform us of something else, haven't you?" he then asked his second-in-command.

Yukata nodded her head quickly and looked at the Sand Siblings. It was as if she felt reluctant in telling them this. But she had to, even if it would cause them so much trauma. "There is something you three really need to come and see in Tojuro's prison. Something huge is written on its wall. It's written with the blood of the dead guards!" she revealed, yet tears were slowly falling across her cheeks, given that informing them about this was horrendous.

Matsuri quickly got over to Yukata and comforted her. She then proceeded to look at Gaara and his siblings. "Lord Gaara. It would be best if you went on to see what Yukata just described. Whoever has freed that lunatic Tojuro, this person sounds like a twisted maniac" she told them.

Gaara nodded his head weakly, his mouth forming into a slight smile. "I will, Matsuri. In the meantime, you will assist the Grim Guard and other defenders of the Sand with the security. We can never be sure if our enemy is at our doorstep" he told her before taking off along with Kankuro and Temari. The other advisors also went their separate ways, hoping to catch the traitorous elder and his followers.

When they entered the prison complex beneath the Kazekage Building, Gaara and his siblings were stunned to see all the guards that had been defeated. Accompanied by several guards, the Sand Siblings began investigating this crime scene. But there was something they took notice of. Each guard had something all over their outfits. The three siblings decided to see what it was.

"What is all this? These guards are not that, yet they have something all over them" Temari asked as she grabbed what appeared to be some dust. "This seems like dust…...except that it's golden! I swear, there's no way Tojuro could've pulled something like this! He lacks fighting capabilities" the dark blonde-haired woman expressed her slight shock in what she was holding.

Kankuro felt slightly abhorred in what he heard his sister say. He even took a look at the dust. "This is no ordinary dust! This is Golden Sand! The same thing dad used in his prime!" the man with marking across his face expressed his disbelief. True, Golden Sand was the same technique used by their late father and the Fourth Kazekage: Rasa. Kankuro looked to his younger brother for answers. "Gaara! You know what this means, don't you? Someone has been using…hold on…...Gaara?" he stopped once he could see that the Kazekage was not paying attention to him. Something else had caught Gaara's blue eyes.

His siblings wondered what it was, so they decided to stand beside him and get a glimpse of it. They all froze in what they saw. It was the prison cell that previously housed Tojuro. The two dead guards could be seen lying on the floor, yet blood was still covering them. But the more shocking thing to see was the two words being written on the wall. It completely sent shivers in their spines.

 **REMEMBER KARURA!**

The Sand Siblings were completely traumatized. They knew who Karura was. She was their beloved mother, who died sometime after Gaara was born. But who in the right mind would write something like this!? Apparently, Tojuro's "rescuer" seemed to know Karura, yet the Sand Siblings were still unsure of whether this was real or not. Why in the world was responsible for such outrageous actions?

"Mother…" Gaara lowly said those words, still recalling how much the woman mattered in his life. Temari and Kankuro also held Karura in high regard.

"Gaara…" Temari uttered lowly, realizing how uncomfortable her youngest brother was feeling with what he was seeing.

Kankuro approached Gaara and put a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him. "Look. We're all shocked over some bastard writing down mom's name on the wall of that scumbag's cell. But maybe we should concentrate on what really matters here. We best not drift back to the past" he insisted, realizing how speaking of their deceased mother was a personal thing for Gaara to do.

Surprisingly, Gaara looked at his older brother and smiled. This stunned his siblings, as the young Kazekage had managed to put aside that feeling. "Yes. I best do that. Thank you for reminding me, Kankuro" the red-haired man told Kankuro before facing the two dead bodies lying before him. "However, now would be the time to lay these proud shinobis of the Sand to rest. They put a valiant effort in guarding this prison. They deserve recognition" the Fifth Kazekage informed his siblings.

Both his siblings smiled, fully supporting Gaara's wishes. They also felt that these guards deserved that honor, it was the least thing they could do, hoping to prove to enemies of the Sand Village that they would never fall.

"Kankuro, Temari. While I did say that us going with Tsunade and Mei to the Island of Tides was risky, I never said we wouldn't go. We will travel there with our own ship, hoping to help rescue A from this suicide quest of his" Gaara informed them before facing his older brother. "Kankuro, I know this is much to ask of you, but I need someone to hold the fort in the village while me and Temari lead our regiment across the seas. Are you willing to take that responsibility?" the young Kazekage asked Kankuro.

Despite being surprised by what Gaara had planned, he immediately accepted his request. "Certainly, Gaara. I'll be happy to do that while you're away. Trust me" Kankuro said, much to Gaara's relief.

* * *

 _On the rooftop of Naruto's apartment, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the Land of Fire_

Naruto was standing on the rooftop of his apartment alongside Kakashi and Sakura. While they had been leaving the Hokage Tower, they had all discovered the drastic change in the burning skies. It was with regards to the giant crimson ring that had appeared. Everyone in the Leaf Village could see it, yet those standing on the rooftops of the buildings had a much clearer view. It was a nightmare becoming a reality.

"What the hell…..what is that thing!?" Naruto expressed his disbelief in what he was seeing.

"That ring…we didn't see it once he got back from the Moon, did we Naruto?" Sakura was also troubled by these changes.

"I'm afraid not, Sakura. When these skies of fire appeared, that ring was nowhere to be seen…..until now that is" Kakashi pointed out to Sakura while continuing staring up at the sky.

So far, that giant and horrendous thing had continued circling around in the skies. But as it lowered itself, Naruto and his friends soon realized something with regards to the crimson ring.

"Hold on…..that ring is circling above something. But what is it?" Naruto wondered.

"You know now that you mention it, it does seem kinda right. As a matter of fact, I suspect it is circling somewhere above…." Sakura was starting to get the picture, until someone interrupted her.

"It's circling above the Island of Tides, the same island that other portal to the Moon existed" the voice came from Sasuke, as he, Sai, Ino and Yamato all stood on the same rooftop as them.

"Sasuke. You're here…...with Ino, Sai and Captain Yamato….." Sakura expressed her surprise in seeing her longtime teammate showing up.

Kakashi glanced at Sasuke with a rather suspicious glare. "Where have you been, Sasuke? Don't tell me you went somewhere without…." Kakashi was stopped by Yamato's vouching.

"It's alright! We were with Sasuke as he went to the Uchiha Memorial site. Nothing bad happened, that we can assure you" the brown-haired man insisted and glanced over to Sasuke. "When this giant ring began showing up, Sasuke wanted to come back and see what Naruto and Sakura were thinking about this" Yamato went on explaining even though only part of this story was accurate.

Sasuke wanted to open his mouth and stop Yamato covering up for him. However, he decided not to do so in the interests of his teammates. More importantly, the raven-haired man was concentrated on the crimson ring in the sky, as he knew that it was circling above the Island of Tides.

Despite his best efforts to hide his emotions, Sakura could tell that Sasuke was sad on the inside. She wanted to know more about what Sasuke had done at the memorial site yet decided against it. The pinkette knew Sasuke had bigger problems to deal with, especially with coming to terms over the fate of his cousin Saizo.

"So that thing's above the Island of Tides. Then it's no question that Kenrojin is there as well!" Naruto noted grimly while thinking about the dangerous dragon.

"It's uncertain whether that's true or not, but that assumption can't be taken off the table" Sai expressed his opinion on the matter. "Then again, Kenrojin could have retreated to it after his failed attempt to destroy the Hidden Stone Village" he added while trying to figure it out.

Kakashi faced his three students, knowing that they would be put to their life's test once again. It was the same experience during the Fourth Shinobi World War. And despite the fact that he was growing weary of shinobis business, Kakashi still felt his talents was required once again, especially with regards to this threat of Kenrojin and the Dragon Creed.

"I assume that Lady Tsunade will cobble together a regiment to accompany her to the Island of Tides. This time, I think I will be joining you guys on the ride" Kakashi told his students and they all looked at him. Naruto and Sakura were amazed while Sasuke only glanced at him indifferently. The white-haired man chuckled to his amusement. "Come on, you think that I'm just gonna sit back and let each and every one of you have all the fun? I still have a promise to fulfill, one of them which is making sure that you become Hokage, Naruto" Kakashi pointed out, although he was specifically facing Naruto.

Naruto grinned cheekily in hearing this. "Sure! And there's no way that I would let you sit back and let others do your dirty work. Don't forget, you're still in your prime, Kakashi-sensei" he told his teacher while adding humor to it.

This amused Kakashi and others around him, even Sasuke. True, even though Sasuke was not the kind of guy to try doing something funny, he still was amused by Naruto's goofy antics. And he was not the only one. Plenty of Naruto's friends did that too.

"Captain Yamato…..will this regiment Lady Tsunade is gathering contain members from the Shadow Squad as well?" Ino asked him.

"Yes. It is very much likely that Asami, Sai, Sasuke and me will be recruited, given our usefulness. And I'm certain you will also be recruited for the job, Ino. You along with Shikamaru, Shino, Hinata and others will be chosen to travel with us to the Island of Tides" Yamato added to his explanation.

"So Grandma has her plan ready?" Naruto quizzed in excitement. He then looked at the giant crimson ring in the skies. His blue eyes narrowed. "Then we best make haste to the coastline as soon as we're ready. Even though he may hate it, the Raikage will require our help in dealing with Kenrojin. I just hope Octopops will be willing to prevent him from committing tactical suicide" he hoped while thinking about Killer B, a fellow Jinchuuriki.

Suddenly, Shikamaru appeared on the rooftop. He landed right before Naruto and the others. From the look of it, he seemed to be very hesitant to come looking for them.

"It's good that you're all here. The time's almost up" Shikamaru told them before facing Naruto, specifically. "Lady Tsunade is making preparations for the journey. Call me crazy…but I wonder whether we'll ever make it back alive this time" the head of the Nara clan began expressing some level of discomfort with this mission.

"Perhaps or perhaps not. Either way, this isn't the time for second thoughts, Shikamaru. Our world is depending upon us" Naruto told him seriously before his frown formed into a determined smile. "I hope you're ready for this. Otherwise, I'll never let you become my advisor" he then told him sarcastically.

Shikamaru scoffed at Naruto's words. "Of course, I am, smartass. If I weren't then I sure as hell wouldn't have come here telling you this, would I?" he pointed out while looking at Kakashi and the others. "Anyway, Lady Tsunade has said that our tactics will be discussed on the trip to the island. We can't afford to waste time planning it here" Shikamaru revealed.

"A wise suggestion. I say we go and meet up with them as quickly as possible. Time is short" Kakashi suggested to everyone and they all agreed

All across the Leaf Village, people were watching as Tsunade was marching with a group shinobis behind her. The blonde-haired Hokage was determined to lead them into battle once again. Villagers watched from the sidelines as the group made it towards the gates. Along the way, they were joined by other brave shinobis who had answered Tsunade's call. Hinata, Lee and many others came along as they were willing to go into battle and fight whatever challenges that were waiting for them on the island.

On a nearby rooftop, Konohamaru Sarutobi and his teammates Moegi and Udon all cheered for the group as it was ready to depart for the coastline.

"GO THEM, BIG BRO! SHOW THEM WHO'S BOSS!" Konohamaru loudly exclaimed while raising a fist in the air.

Naruto smirked, admiring Konohamaru's willpower in face of this threat. But he knew that the fight was far from over. "You just keep impressing me over and over again. I'll give you points for that, Konohamaru" the blonde-haired man told himself. He then noticed that Shizune and Kurenai was not among the regiment, so he decided to ask Kakashi, who was walking beside him. "Hey Kakashi-sensei, aren't Shizune and Kurenai-sensei coming with us?" he asked his teacher.

"They along with Anko and some others will stay back in the Leaf Village and run things smoothly. We can't afford to let our home be defenseless. And then there is Homura and Koharu of the Leaf Council. Surely they will be more than enough to hold the fort while we're gone" Kakashi told his student reassuringly.

Naruto nodded his head in agreement. "Heh. I know they will. The Leaf Village has no weaklings. Never forget that" the blonde-haired man expressed his pride of his home village.

Hinata was feeling somewhat downed. While she had wanted to celebrate her welcome to the Earth with her clan, the stunning bluenette knew that desperate times required her assistance. On the other hand, this made her happy, as it showed her how she really mattered as a kunoichi. Her family were okay with this, fully understanding the gravity of the threat to the world. Once everything was over, perhaps then could they celebrate Hinata's emergence into a strong kunoichi. She was confident that with Kiba, Shino, Naruto and the rest of her friends on her side, victory was assured.

"Forgive me, father. But the celebration will have to wait. It's time I show you how I solve my conflicts" Hinata said to herself while thinking about her family.

Lee was also feeling confident in himself. Now he would have the chance to prove Tenten how he had matured as a shinobi. There was no way he was going to dishonor the memories of Neji and Guy. Lee would make good on his promise and never resort to any immaturities. That was the old him.

"You just watch me Neji…Guy-sensei…I won't disappoint you!" Lee was beaming with confidence on the inside while thinking about two people who was dear to both him and Tenten.

Sasuke had only one thing on his mind as he marched alongside his friends. It was Saizo. The raven-haired man knew that they would soon clash once again. Sadly, it would also be their last. As his mind started drifting back into the past, Sasuke shoved them away.

"No. This isn't the time to have any regrets. I have to do this. For my family" Sasuke said to himself while closing his eyes. "Brother…Aunt Akihime…forgive me for doing this…but I know you will understand my actions" the raven-haired man silently asked two of the people he held in high regard.

Now that everyone as at the gates, Tsunade turned around and faced the group she had gathered for her mission. "Alright, everyone! This is it! We'll head to the eastern coastline as soon as quick as we can. A ship sent by the Mist Village will be awaiting our arrival. Onboard, we will rendezvous with the Mizukage and her regiment of Mist ninjas. Then, we can discuss on how to proceed with this attack on the Island of Tides. But above all, we must make sure that A and his people are not dead before we reach the island!" she firmly explained everything to what they would be doing. Realizing that everyone had her back, Tsunade directed her attention towards the crimson ring in the sky. "LET'S MOVE OUT….NOW!" Tsunade told everyone and she led her group out of the village, hoping to reach the island and help the Cloud ninjas with their challenge.

* * *

 _Inside a cave somewhere in the Land of Wind_

As the Sand Village were scrambling to overcome this recent prison break, the disgraced elder Tojuro and his allies were currently taking shelter in a cave somewhere in the desert. They had only managed to reach to this place thanks to the help of their saviors. These so-called saviors were people wearing white-hooded capes. They were now standing before the elder and his cronies, indicating that they now wanted a discussion.

The elderly man with greyish-white hair coughed before facing his newfound allies. "I cannot thank you enough for freeing us from all this humiliation. It is the least you can do after everything we have done to assist you with sowing seeds of discontent within this blasted military alliance! As wise as he may be, Gaara's vision of the village is insufficient and lacks reality" Tojuro expressed his gratitude, even though the tone of his didn't sound as such.

The one who stood in the middle of these white-hooded men took a step forward. He let out a deep chuckle as he heard the elder talking. "Boastful as ever, Tojuro. I can see why people still didn't take your quest for political power seriously enough" the man spoke up, trying to mock the elder's ambitions.

Tojuro felt his pride getting insulted. "Hold your tongue, reckless youngster! All that I wanted was to preserve the Sand Village's dignity! I was trying to show Gaara the error of his ways, especially in letting his older sister see that man from the Leaf Village! I swear, that family has constantly been a pain in my neck!" he hit back, still possessing enough guts to stand tall.

As this stranger heard Tojuro speaking, he lifted his hood and revealed his face for the elder and his cronies to see. "When you say that family, I suppose you speak of the Fourth Kazekage's, am I right?" he asked while revealing himself to be the Golden Dragon, the mysterious member of the Dragon Creed. While his grinning mouth was exposed, his eyes were covered by the golden opera mask. His spikey, sandy-blonde hair could be seen striking above his head and opera mask.

The moment he saw this man, Tojuro was immediately reminded about someone. Soon, it became apparent to him. "It cannot be…...that voice…as well as your hair…you are that miserable, dirty…..." the elder stopped speaking as he could feel his throat getting held on by golden sand. He was getting choked! And it was all the Golden Dragon's doing.

"I didn't free you so you could throw insults at me, old man. You are mine now! Alas, there is nothing you could possibly do to make me tremble before you. You made that choice the moment you let us use you!" the Golden Dragon spoke up, having no empathy in his voice as he watched the old man struggle to breathe.

"I TAKE IT BACK! I TAKE IT BACK! PLEASE SPARE ME!" Tojuro pleaded with his throat getting hoarse.

After hearing his pleas, the Golden Dragon freed the elder from his grip. Tojuro fell onto his knees, gaping for air. His followers quickly came to his side, trying to see if he was still breathing. They were relieved that he was, yet they trembled in fear before the Golden Dragon and his cohorts. From the looks of it, the masked man had no regrets doing this to Tojuro.

The Golden Dragon laughed sadistically. "Pathetic. Just utterly pathetic. Perhaps I need to give you a better role in the Village Hidden in the Gold. You simply can't function as a shinobi" he remarked in amusement before looking outside to see that the terrible storms had slowed down a bit. His hooded associates came to his side. "It would seem that our time to move out is now. Doing this infiltration amidst this fear of Kenrojin's rampage most certainly worked to our advantage. While the Kazekage will most likely dispatch spies to track us, I doubt he will dedicate much resource to the search. Right now, ending the threat Kenrojin poses seems to be more important to him than chasing after us. All goes into the plan. But I have yet to see the results. But whoever defeats Kenrojin…...will be doing me a great service" the Golden Dragon noted smugly to his plans as he glanced up in the skies, given that he could see the giant crimson ring.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: The Afterworld exists in the Naruto Universe, so what if there existed something opposite of it? That's where the Underworld comes in. It's inspired mostly by Greek, Chinese and Japanese mythologies with regards to demons and the undead. Tojuro and his cronies are all canon, given that they appeared in Gaara Hiden: Mirage Sandstorm. In my story, their plans were already stopped and Tojuro was behind bars, until the Golden Dragon came and rescued him. This was only the beginning of the Assault on the Island of Tides. This will be a major game changer, given that many characters will be involved in the battle. And yes, while it may be similar to the Fourth Shinobi World War, it isn't. Kenrojin may be the central figure, but he won't show up first. That will be his minions' job. And more importantly, the fights that Saizo, Nagisa and Hiruko will be engaging in are quite serious. Each of them will be up against three or four fighters. But who will be up against who, is yet to be decided. Until then, stay tuned for more. And I thank you all for following this fan-based story.**


	32. Into the Inferno

**Author's note: This will begin the battle on the Island of Tides. Expect for some major scenes of violence and drama. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 32: Into the Inferno**

 _Near the shores of the Island of Tides, in the seas near the Land of Water_

Braving these stormy seas, the regiment of the Cloud Village's strongest shinobis were nearing the shores of the recently transformed Island of Tides. What was once just a mysterious island with a thick mist surrounding it, was now a gigantic volcano breathing nothing but chaos and ashes. The floating crimson ring above the summit only made the atmosphere more dangerous and terrifying. Even now, people across the world could see it. Realizing that there was no reasoning with this dragon, the Fourth Raikage had partaken this serious mission to end the threat of Kenrojin once and for all.

But as the ship was nearing the island's shores, the Cloud ninjas were in in awe of what kind of terror lied in store for them. Lava was running down the volcano's length, yet it hadn't reached the shores. Even so, there was no turning back now. They would not leave this island until Kenrojin was dealt with.

But for A, this mission was also a very personal matter for him. He had learned about one of Kenrojin's "helpers", who turned out to be a ninja of the Cloud Village. But the Raikage was not alone in having qualms in killing Hiruko Sado. His closest associates such as Darui and Cee were also taking issue to this.

"We're almost here!" A told his subordinates while facing everyone on the ship. "Once this ship hits the shores, we get off and start finding the dragon's lair. And be on your guard! There's no telling what that damned beast has in store for us!" the Raikage informed them.

"Lord Raikage…what if we happen to find Hiruko Sado?" Darui asked him, trying his best not to sound informal when mentioning this name in front of his superior.

A closed his eyes and sighed, not feeling keen on answering him that question. Still, he had to give Darui and the others an answer. It was his duty, after all. Opening his eyes, the Raikage faced them determinedly.

"If any of you happen spot him…then take him. But be warned, Hiruko Sado is a shinobi that one can never underestimate. You will have to fight with everything you have to last against him" A told everyone, his voice surprisingly calmer than earlier.

"You heard the Raikage! Prepare yourselves for combat!" Cee turned around and made sure the other Cloud ninjas were ready for this. "ARE WE DOING THIS OR WHAT!?" the blonde-haired man called out to them.

"YESSIR!" every member of the regiment, from Karui and Omoi to Samui and Atsui said in unison. Cee smiled with what he was seeing. Everyone was ready for battle.

Darui did the same thing. "They're all ready, boss!" he told the Raikage.

A directed his attention towards the shores, knowing that the ship was almost there. Despite the changes on the island, the shores had mostly remained unaffected. Even so, the Cloud ninjas would have to be prepared to face whatever dangers lurked inside the volcano. It was highly unlikely they would be facing common bandits.

The moment the ship hit the shores, every single Cloud ninja got off, landing on the dunes of sands. They all looked up to see what lied before them. As far as everyone knew, they were standing at the foot of the volcano. But the only question was how to enter it.

Leading his regiment closer, A tried to find a weak spot so that they could break and enter the volcano. But was that even possible? As they did search for it, they also made sure to look both sides, so that they wouldn't get caught in sneak attacks.

"Keep your eyes peeled! There has to be way to enter this blasted volcano!" A told them. But he stopped searching once he could see what appeared to be a crack on the rocky wall. The Raikage motioned for his subordinates to come with him. "This looks like a weak spot. We'll start here" A informed them.

"Lord Raikage. With all due respect, are you sure punching a hole into the wall is a good idea?" Tenga asked, the young man having some second thoughts about this.

"He's got a point! For all we know, there could be lave coming out of that wall! That's why destroying sounds like a very bad move in my opinion" Omoi spoke up, backing Tenga's right to be concerned.

While he listened to their opinions, A felt like he didn't have time to stand and argue with his subordinates. "Desperate times calls for desperate measures, boys! Stand back! I will make an entrance for us to use!" the Fourth Raikage told everyone.

Realizing that things were about to get ugly, Omoi, Tenga and other Cloud ninjas ran away from A's location, trying not to stand so close to where he was about to create a ruckus. Only Darui, Samui and Cee had enough guts to stand with their superior.

Gathering enough Chakra in his powerful fists, A was about to use it to punch a hole into the wall, but something made him stop. Cracks began appearing, and it was definitely not the Raikage's doing. In just a few moments, the wall of rock shattered. However, lave didn't come out of it. Instead, the Cloud ninjas were faced with deadly foes.

"Oh shit…." Darui said as he looked up to what he was seeing.

"My God…what are these things!?" Cee wondered out in anger.

What had emerged out of the wall of rock was lava elementals. But they were not alone. Accompanying them were other creatures made of Kenrojin's hands. There were also hound-like creatures of fire, black steed with burning manes and tails, as well as revenants carrying fire within them. Judging by their appearances, not to mention their rocky hides, these monsters were without question minions of Kenrojin. While his lava elementals had been spotted before, the other creatures were a mystery.

"I've never seen demons like them!" Samui expressed her disbelief. The blonde-haired woman faced her superior. "Lord Raikage! What are your orders!?" she wanted to know if his leader was still willing to fight.

Despite the horrors he was witnessing, A was far from intimidated. Activating his Chakra Cloak, the Raikage stood his ground. His will to take on these creatures inspired his subordinates to do the same thing.

"We stand our ground here! No mere creatures of fire will prevent us from reaching our goal! We shall endure! Stand and fight!" A declared and began the first move by charging straight into the rampaging lava elementals.

Karui, Atsui and Omoi stood their ground with their katanas, ready to slash a pack of the lava hounds that came towards them. These creatures were made out of rocks and lava, and their jaws were hideous to watch. Surprisingly, the three Cloud ninjas handled them well. After finished dealing with pack, Omoi couldn't help but to notice that there was lava on his sword. He had probably received it when he cut the hounds.

"Eeew! These things are just gross! I can't let the lava stain my blade!" Omoi said as he tried to wipe the lava off his blade. But his distraction enabled a lava hound to try and sneak upon him. Omoi saw this and gasped in fear. Fortunately, Karui was just in time to take care of the foul beast. He smiled at his teammate with relief in his expression. "Woah! Thanks for covering my butt, Karui!" he told her.

But Karui was far from happy with her teammate's laidback persona. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Omoi!? Get your shit together and don't drop your guard! These are creatures that only seeks to tear us to pieces! You might wanna have that written on your forehead!" the red-haired woman berated him.

"Alright! I screwed up! Next time, I'll be more careful! Promise!" Omoi assured the short-tempered kunoichi.

Karui facepalmed in return. "I better hope so" she murmured.

"Heads up! We've got burning steeds coming towards us!" Atsui told his comrades, who immediately realized that the danger was far from over. Indeed, two demonic horses had their eyes set upon the three. "I take it these horses are a lot tougher than the hounds we just fought!" the blonde-haired man added to his statement.

"Exactly! Which is why we can't underestimate them. Is that clear, Omoi!?" Karui told him, yet the swordsman didn't seem to give much thought about her anger issues.

In the meantime, Kiyoi Yotsuki, Tenga and Tango were having their hands full with the lava revenants. While they were fine in holding on their own, there was something strange to these creatures, especially with regards to their behavior.

"These nasty things…...they're not even among the living!" Tango expressed his shock with seeing the lava revenants.

"Tch, you say that now!? In my opinion, they have always been dead!" Tenga rebuked him, before having to dodge an attack from one of his foes. "And they sure as hell don't fool around with their targets! They're hellbent on killing us with these monstrous claws!" the young man added to his observation of these fiery creatures.

Kiyoi stood his ground, punching a lava revenant that were approaching him. "Well, I don't tend on letting them take my life so easily! Let's not get easily intimidated by these cloaked freaks! There are worse creatures we've battled. We are shinobis of the Cloud Village! We shall not fall!" he exclaimed, both Tenga and Tango surprised to hear this man's willpower despite all this chaos.

But on another note, it only encouraged them to keep on fighting. "Hell yeah! No way we're gonna let these ugly bastards be the end of us!" Tenga was all fired up and ready to brawl. While Kiyoi was amused in seeing his determination, Tango simply raised an eyebrow. Even so, they didn't have the luxury to stand around doing nothing.

Jei and his partner Key were also holding their won, yet they had to back off once the lava elementals came raging upon them. Lucky for these two, Darui, Cee and Samui were nearby, thus taking out these infernal creatures. Both Cee and Darui used their skills in lightning based jutsus in order to take out the lava elementals.

"Woah! Thank God you were around us!" Jei expressed his relief in being helped by those three strong ninjas.

"Those elementals were too much for us to handle! But with you at our side, we may have chance of winning" Key informed them.

"Don't get the wrong idea! We didn't defeat those things to save your hides" Samui firmly told them, her blue eyes narrowing with disappointment. "You were chosen by the Raikage to accompany this regiment! Stop pretending to be brave and get serious for once!" she scolded them.

Both Jei and Key realized what she was talking about. She was right, they couldn't rely solely on others to boost their morale. Surely, they had some level of dignity left within them. Gulping, they both saluted at her in return. "YES MA'AM!" they said in unison, trying to convince Samui how brave and focused they were.

Darui mused to himself. "Now this is rather unusual of you, Samui. Since when did you decide to become a drill inspector all of a sudden" he quizzed her.

Samui stroke her bangs as she listened, pretending like she was not following him. "I won't dignify that with an answer" she sternly replied, yet Darui was still finding amusement in her behavior.

"Oh, so that's how you wanna play it?" he said teasingly, this time earning him a deathglare from Samui.

As they kept jabbing each other, Cee could notice that something was not alright. He looked to the hole the lava creatures had emerged from. To the blonde-haired man's shock, he saw the Fourth Raikage entering it.

"HOLD ON…..LORD RAIKAGE! WHERE ARE YOU…." Cee was in disbelief in what he was seeing.

Soon, Darui, Samui and the other Cloud ninjas could also A entering the hole, and thus into the volcano. It was an unexpected surprise.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING, BOSS!?" Darui asked out loud. Unfortunately, A didn't hear his words, so he proceeded to run. The white-haired man soon got a hang of what the Raikage was planning on doing. "NO…..DON'T TELL ME….." he was at loss of words.

"He's going to face off against Hiruko Sado alone!" Samui remarked in astonishment. She faced her comrades. "He can't do that alone! That dragon is still inside the volcano! He will only end up getting himself killed!" the blonde-haired woman told them.

"Then what in the hell are we waiting for!? Let's follow him!" Omoi said as he started to sprint towards the hole in the wall.

Omoi was not alone. I time, they all ran in hopes of catching up with their superior. But before they could even enter the hole, lava elementals appeared to block their path once again. They were also joined by a pack of lava hounds and lava steeds. And from the looks of it, they seemed to form a line that prevented anyone entry into the volcano.

"Motherfucker! How many of these things are there on this island!?" Atsui asked out loud in irritation while brandishing his sword. "We best get rid of them ASAP! They're getting annoying" he added.

"Got that right, Atsui! We'll show them what we're made of" Omoi exclaimed, feeling happy to be able to get his hands dirty.

Karui pulled out her sword, smirking to what Atsui and Omoi had said. "Glad to hear that I'm not alone with despising these nasty things! So let's cut them to shreds before catching up with the Raikage!" the redhead was feeling very determined in taking out these lava creatures.

"Then prepare yourselves! ATTACK!" Darui called out to his fellow shinobis.

The two groups were about to clash once again. But the regiment of Cloud ninjas stopped once they realized their foes had done the same thing. They could even feel something towering from behind. Looking back, they were shocked by the appearance of a tsunami that was hitting up to the shores of the volcano. But something was riding on that wave. It was two ships, similar to the ones the regiment had arrived with.

"WHAT THE…A TSUNAMI!?" Cee asked as he and his comrades ran to look for cover.

"BUT LOOK! SOMEONE IS ARRIVING HERE BY SHIPS! THAT MEANS THIS WAVE IS ONLY A JUTSU!" Darui insisted to him while motioning his head at the two ships who had appeared on the shores.

As the tsunami swallowed the lava creatures, the two ships that had landed on the island's shores were dropping off ninjas of the Leaf and Mist Villages. And believe it or not, these two groups were being led by Tsunade and Mei Terumi, the Fifth Hokage and Fifth Mizukage, respectively. Joining them were powerful shinobis such as Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Suigetsu, Juugo, Lee and many others. Members of the Shadow Squad and the Divine Division had also accompanied them to the Island of Tides. In other words, it was a large force prepared for the toughest fight yet.

"Reinforcements…from the Leaf and the Mist…" Samui uttered out lowly. "But I thought the Raikage had made it clear that he didn't want them accompanying us!" she recalled to what A had decided with regards to the Triple Entente.

"He did…that I remember" Cee spoke up his mind.

"Yeah…...but I guess they arrived in a good time. Given our current situation, their timing is perfect. Let's fill them in on what has happened" Darui told them and the regiment of Cloud ninjas came out of cover and met with the two Kages and their advisors.

Both Tsunade and Mei smiled when she saw the Raikage's closest assistants come up to them. Naruto was also with them, along with his friends.

"Tsunade. Mei Terumi. What a surprise in seeing two powerful Kages such as yourself on this island" Samui told them, her voice bearing formality when talking to two of the most powerful kunoichis in the world.

Tsunade nodded her head. "You could say that. We're glad to see that all of you have managed to stay alive so far" she told her before looking up to face the volcano. "To my understanding, his volcano was once a mountain…...but it would seem that Kenrojin has turned it into an erupting volcano" she grimly remarked, being joined by Naruto, Kakashi and Yugao.

"All that change in such a short amount of time!? Unbelievable!" the purple-haired woman expressed his disbelief.

"The changes alone only confirm the fact that Kenrojin has established his lair on the Island of Tides. We will have to be careful here" Kakashi advised Tsunade and the others.

"I hate to sound stupid or something, but who is this Kenrojin you keep talking about?" Omoi lazily questioned the Leaf ninjas.

"It's the name of that dragon that's been terrorizing our world" Mei answered plainly, understanding that none of the Cloud Villagers understood who Kenrojin really was.

Darui stepped up, the shaggy-haired man admitting he was interested to know more. "So you guys know about that dragon, huh? Well, who is he? Something tells me that you know more about it than what we do" he remarked in slight amusement.

"Well, we owe finding that information about Kenrojin to Naruto Uzumaki and his Moon Expedition. They were brave enough to venture to the Moon and prevent it from reaching and destroying our world. If you are interested to know more, just ask him" Tsunade cunningly advised Darui, yet he didn't seem that interested in knowing more.

Naruto had hoped to find Killer B be among the crowd of Cloud ninjas, but he couldn't spot him. He therefore fixed his eyes upon some of the Cloud ninjas he recognized. It was Samui, Karui and Omoi. He still remembered how they had visited the Leaf Village to demand information about Sasuke when he was a wanted criminal. But that was two years ago. Hopefully, they would recognize Naruto, and so they did.

"Hey, you guys. Do you know where Killer B is? I'd expected him to be accompanying you for this type of mission. But I don't see him anywhere" the blonde-haired man cheerfully asked them.

When they heard this, the three Cloud ninjas were stung in their hearts. Each of them was reluctant to answer Naruto. But Omoi seemed to have more than enough courage to reply to his question.

"Yeah…about that…..." Omoi was about to answer, only for him to be interrupted by Cee.

"Don't tell him anything! And everyone else, shut your traps!" Cee told him and the rest of the Cloud regiment before facing Tsunade and Mei. "I believe you read the messages you were given. The Raikage didn't wish for you to interfere! We will take matters into our own hands" the blonde-haired man informed the Kages.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the blonde-haired man. "An ignorant statement, Cee. As fellow Kages, me and Mei are not obliged to agree with A and his self-destructive moves. You know as well as I do that he's only leading to your demises" she firmly told him.

"Indeed. And why are you having this condescending attitude towards us anyway? We just arrived in time to help you with these terrifying creatures, despite knowing how hostile you would be towards us. You ought to show some gratitude for us being willing to come here and assist you" Mei joined in on the conversation, continuing scolding the Raikage's advisor.

Feeling that he had made a complete ass of himself in front of everyone, Cee backed off, not feeling like opening his mouth anymore. There was no arguing against the wisdom of the Kages. But his comrades were more than willing to talk with them, given that they lacked Cee's arrogant and headstrong attitude.

"Look, about Killer B's whereabouts. The boss didn't want him to come with us on this trip. So he's back in the Land of Lightning for now" Darui stepped up and revealed the answers they were looking for.

Naruto's eyes widened in slight disbelief. "What? How can he even consider that option!?" the blonde-haired man loudly asked, yet he restrained his anger. "In times such as these, A will need Octopops at his side! Why does he have to do this alone?" he wondered.

"Speaking of which, where is the Raikage now? Surely you didn't arrive here leaderless, did you?" Kakashi asked them.

Samui pointed her finger at the hole in the rocky wall. "He entered that hole, which probably leads to center of the volcano. He went there all by himself" she answered them.

Both Tsunade and Mei could not fathom what A had done to his subordinates. In their eyes, this decision to simply abandon the regiment and enter the cave on his own was selfish. Even the others in the group were stunned to hear this revelation.

"He went inside all by himself!? But that's a suicidal tactic!" Sakura exclaimed out in disbelief with what she was hearing. "Why didn't you try to stop him!?" she then questioned some of the Cloud ninjas.

"Does it look like we let him go willingly!? Hell no! That guy is stubborn and even ignored our calls when he went inside!" Karui snapped back, trying to convince Sakura and the others that it was A's decision to go inside alone.

"Karui's right! And we were about to go after him until more of these volcanic monsters showed up!" Omoi joined in, helping his teammate in convincing them. He then turned his attention to the hole in the wall. "I really wish you didn't act this sanctimonious sometimes" he thought about A and his leadership qualities.

"I see. It would appear that A wishes to fight Kenrojin on his own. Or perhaps there is a more concrete answer to what he really wants" Tsunade spoke up her opinion of A's choices. She then faced Darui and Cee. "We know what he truly wants. He has come here to fight Hiruko Sado" the Hokage informed them.

Cee widened his eyes in disbelief. "What? How do you know that!?" the blonde-haired man was caught by surprise, yet Darui nudged him with his elbows.

"Just give it up, Cee! It's no use interrogating them anymore. They already know everything! After all, the Raikage did sent messages to you two and the Kazekage about the recent attack on the Stone Village" Darui remarked while facing the two female Kages.

Tsunade nodded her head as a yes. "Indeed. Once we found out about how Kenrojin's onslaught was thwarted, we knew that steps had to be taken in order to end his threat. That is why we have come here, despite A's objections" the blonde-haired woman firmly told the Cloud ninjas.

"Stubborn fool. If he really didn't want us to know, then he shouldn't have sent messages to us in the first place" Mei expressed her opinion of the Fourth Raikage.

Both Sasuke and Suigetsu exchanged nods between each other. They both knew what waited for them inside this very volcano. And it was more than just a gargantuan dragon. But were they doing these things? Each of them had a motive for coming to the Island of Tides.

As Tsunade, Mei and their associates were talking to figure out a plan, everyone in large group was startled by what appeared to be a volcanic eruption. It came from the summit itself. More lava began streaming down it's rocky walls. But it was not only that.

"Lady Mei! Look up! The volcano…it's sprouting out fireballs!" Shachi exclaimed out in disbelief to his superior.

The man with the metallic mask was right. Large chunks of burning rocks suddenly emerged from the summit and fell down into different directions. The large group was worried about some of these fireballs being headed towards their location. But so far, they seemed to be in a safe spot.

"Who is causing this!? Is it that foul dragon!?" Hyozan questioned, the swordsman starting to feel slightly uncomfortable.

"That is the obvious answer. And right now, the Fourth Raikage is inside. But hopefully he knows how to take care of himself" Kakashi remarked.

"It looks like we don't have much time here! Kenrojin is up to something inside this volcano! We must…." Naruto and the others soon heard the sounds of monsters emerging near their location. It was more of Kenrojin's minions. "Tch, great! More of these ugly creatures! I thought the wave we created was more than enough for them!" the blonde-haired man expressed his irritation.

"Don't get so surprised, Naruto. This island is currently Kenrojin's dominion. As such, he holds the power to create these…...things" Tsunade reminded Naruto, the Hokage also expressing her disgust with these infernal creatures. "Then again, we won't be so easily intimidated by them, won't we, Mei?" the blonde-haired woman asked her counterpart from the Mist Village.

"What kind of question is that? The answer is a resounding no!" the Mizukage told Tsunade, her attention now fixated upon Kenrojin's minions. "So let's show these beasts how we shinobis do things here!" Mei added, boosting the morale among every shinobi and kunoichi.

While the majority of these shinobis were disgusted, some found the courage to take their challenge head on. This was partly due to Mei's encouragement Therefore, they didn't back down from this challenge. Thus, a new brawl began.

Amidst this commotion, Karin realized that something was missing. When she looked around, the redhead knew that it was true. Juugo could see the expression on her face and was concerned about whether she had felt something with her ability to detect Chakras.

"What's on your mind, Karin? Have you detected something?" the orange-haired man questioned her.

"I could swear that Sasuke and Suigetsu were with us just now. But I can't see them anywhere, let alone sense their Chakras. Where are they?" she asked while looking around their location.

Soon, Juugo began doing the same thing. "Now that you mention it, it does seem that neither of them is here with us. You're right, Karin. But where have they run off to?" the orange-haired man wondered.

"I think we can answer you that" Naruto approached the two alongside Sakura, Kakashi, Ino, Lee, Hinata and others. He then proceeded to glance at the hole in the wall. "They may have begun the search for Kenrojin…..or worse….search for those individuals" he explained his assumption of where Sasuke and Suigetsu had gone.

"THEY WHAT!?" both Yugao and Shachi said at the same time, the two ANBU commanders furious in what they heard. But both Asami and Hyozan were at their side, trying to ease their rage.

"Damn it! Once again, that Uchiha-punk is disrespecting his verdict!" Asami expressed her dissatisfaction in what she heard.

"Agreed! And there is no way they alone can hope to defeat Kenrojin! They're walking straight into their graves!" Hyozan spoke up his opinion, agreeing with what his counterpart from the Leaf Village said.

"True. But as I said earlier, they haven't gone off to fight Kenrojin. Yes, they each have more personal reasons for entering" Naruto corrected the two before facing Tsunade. "Grandma Tsunade, we don't know how Kenrojin will carry out his plans, but we need to enter the volcano and be ready to stand against him" the blonde-haired man then suggested to Tsunade what they should do.

A smug smile crept on Tsunade's lips. "And so we shall, Naruto. But first, we must deal with Kenrojin's minions that are blocking our entry. The faster they're gone, the quicker we can enter" the Hokage told him, although everyone else listened to what was being said.

And so, they continued battling against the lava creatures, determined to enter the volcano and stand up against Kenrojin's crusade of terror.

* * *

 _Inside the center of the volcano itself, the Island of Tides_

Ever since Kenrojin had reshaped the Island of Tides into his personal lair, he had created a crater that was unlike anything but chaotic. Volcanic eruptions with sprays of molten rock and falling volcanic debris dotted the landscape of this place. Yet despite this, some people were still resilient enough to walk around the crater as normal.

One of the few persons brave enough to do that was the Fourth Raikage: A. Having reluctantly left his regiment of Cloud ninjas behind, A sought to put an end to something very personal. He wandered through the volcanic place, which was filled with cinders and heat. After walking slowly for a few seconds, the Raikage stopped in his tracks. His eyes narrowed, indicating that he could see who had confronted him despite the amount of smoke in the area. And who was that person that dared to confront the mighty A?

"Look who's finally showing himself? The so-called "honorable" Fourth Raikage!" a sarcastic yet bitter voice came from the smoke. But the one who had uttered it quickly emerged out of hiding, thus exposing his identity for A to see. It was Hiruko Sado, also known as the Ebon Dragon. The baldheaded man with yellow eyes narrowed, yet his mouth was formed into a cunning smirk as he faced A. "I'm glad you could come…A. I knew that someone like you still had some dignity left to face me!" he spoke up, his voice bearing a hint of resentment.

The expression on A's face remained unchanged. "Hiruko…" he uttered the name of the man he knew to be the younger brother of his deceased best friend. "So the rumors were true after all? That a Sado had been spotted assisting human traffickers transporting innocents from the Land of Lightning? I knew that it was suspicious, but I had never expected it to be you of all people!" the Raikage spoke up his disgust.

"Hmm…...what does that even matter to you? If I recall correctly, you told me that you didn't care about whether I screamed in pain or not! And didn't you say that my pride and impulsiveness would be my undoing!?" Hiruko reminded his hated enemy.

When Hiruko said that, it had touched a nerve within A. "YOU'RE STILL NOT GETTING IT! HAVE YOU REALLY FALLEN THAT LOW, HIRUKO!? ARE YOU WILLING TO THROW AWAY YOUR HONOR FOR THE SAKE OF CRIME AND CORRUPTION!? ANSWER ME!" the Raikage angrily demanded an answer out of him.

This filled Hiruko with seething anger towards A. "YOU LECTURE ME ABOUT HONOR!? TO HELL WITH IT! IF IT'S ONE THING I DON'T NEED, THEN IT'S YOU SPEWING OUT SUCH BULLSHIT! AND HOW EXACTLY ARE YOU INNOCENT IN ALL THIS!? YOU COULDN'T EVEN SAVE US….SAVE HYAKUSHIGE!" he hit back, not hiding his rage for the Raikage to see.

When A could see Hiruko's rage, his expression slightly softened. However, he still remained firm when facing his opponent. There was more he wished to say to him, given that they had known each other for a very long time.

"You talk as if I took pleasure in putting an end to the Sado clan's coup attempt. Sadly, you have mistaken. Nobody wants to put an end to a rebellion through bloodshed and needless violence" the Raikage informed Hiruko. "But your older brother left me no choice, Hiruko. His lust for strength and preference of that over friendship corrupted him to the core. I did what I had to do in order to ensure the safety of the Cloud Village. Try understand that" A added to his explanation.

"Shove that sob-story up your ass, A! Not only my brother's life was taken away that day. What about Hikui one of Killer B' students!? But then again, he's probably pardoned you for it due to you being brothers!" he spoke up, mentioning a certain kunoichi that perished during the fight to stop the Sado clan's coup attempt. "And don't even forget about the fact that you banished us from the village! You left us to die in the wilderness, die of starvation, die of freezing!" Hiruko continued his verbal assault on the Raikage.

A could no longer stand idle and listen to all these harsh words being spoken to him. "I won't be judged for defending the Cloud Village, especially from someone as reckless and impulsive as you!" the Raikage said, and he proceeded to remove his Raikage-hat before standing in his fighting position. Despite having lost his left forearm, A was not backing down from this match. "I may not know how you could turn to terrorism in order to satisfy your vengeance, but what I DO know is that you must be stopped. This world has had enough of hatemongers such as you! Therefore, you leave me no option but to end you, Hiruko Sado!" A declared, being willing to fight a man he had been close to.

Seeing this slightly delighted Hiruko. Indeed, he had waiting for this very moment to happen. He had dedicated his training to defeat the Fourth Raikage in combat. And now, the opportunity stood in front of him. Removing his black-hooded cloak, Hiruko got into fighting position. He knew this fight would probably be the most challenging.

"It's time to finish this! Be thankful that Killer B won't be able to see you in this state you have become" A said warily, trying his best not to think about his adoptive brother.

Still, Hiruko didn't care for what he heard. "Shut up, already!" he hit back.

The two powerful Cloud ninjas were beginning to unleash their powers of lightning. They soon activated their respective Chakra Cloaks, the environment around them changing as a result. The moment some rocks began moving due to the intense heat, their duel began.

A and Hiruko charged directly towards one another, their Chakra Cloaks giving them immense speed and strength. With powerful fists, they clashed. The volcanic ground began cracking, all thanks to the release of electricity coming from the two men.

"Heh! Trying to fight me with just one hand, A!? That's a serious handicap you've got! How pathetic that you have forgiven Sasuke Uchiha for what he did to you!" Hiruko taunted his opponent.

While he took an issue with this, A remained concentrated on winning this clash against Hiruko. "Still underestimating your foes!? You haven't changed one bit!" the Raikage hit back at the insult.

As they each tried to overpower the other, it only ended up with them getting sent flying onto opposite directions. However, both A and Hiruko quickly got up on their feet and ran towards each other once again, engaging in a duel of hand-to-hand combat. Each of them traded punches and kicks, with A punching his opponent right on his stomach. But Hiruko quickly snapped out of the pain, and with all his might, hit the Raikage straight on his face, sending him crashing to a pile of rocks.

A managed to land on his feet after crashing through the piles, yet he needed to contend with a raging Hiruko, who was trying to perform a flying kick upon A. Fortunately for the Raikage, he quickly grabbed hold of Hiruko's feet and threw him behind. It was quite a throw. But Hiruko was not slow, and he landed on the wall of rock with his feet before bursting back towards the Raikage in fast speed.

"NOW YOU SUFFER!" the baldheaded man yelled and was about to deliver a powerful punch. But to his surprise, A blocked his attack with his only hand. He grinned smugly, much to the irritation of Hiruko. "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" Hiruko roared as he was about to use his free hand to punch A. But he was too late.

A had reacted faster by delivering a powerful headbutt on Hiruko, which sent him flying till he crashed against a wall of rocks, the same type A had done earlier. It was quite a crash, and it even ended up creating a hole behind Hiruko.

As his opponent sat against the rocks, the Raikage slowly approached him, his expression filled with nothing but disappointment. "How many times must be go through this, Hiruko!? If you couldn't beat Killer B, then you have no chance of winning against me. But I'm afraid you lack your brother's sense of wisdom. You're too distracted by your emotions!" A criticized Hiruko, still taking slow steps towards his opponent.

Despite sitting and hanging his head, Hiruko was far from being defeated. He was still conscious. "Speak for yourself, A!" the muscular man spoke up, forcing the Raikage to stop walking. Slowly, Hiruko began raising up on his feet. "You were willing to put aside our village's ambitions for the sake of other villages! What happened to your sense of dignity!? And what about your intention of executing that Uchiha? First you wanted to do all these things, only for you to throw them away" he kept telling the Raikage.

A stood and listened to everything that was being said to him. After some thinking, he decided to answer. "War, expansion and conquest was never in the best interests of the Cloud Village. And the reason why I chose to begrudgingly forgive Sasuke Uchiha was the fact that I didn't want to corrupt myself with endless hatred. I only wish Hyakushige and you could do the same thing! Haven't you forgotten the horrors we witnessed during the world war!?" he berated Hiruko while answering the questions.

Hiruko gathered Chakra around him once again, but he was doing more than that. Having had his eyes shut while listening to A's answer, the Sado opened his eyes, thus activating his clan's infamous Kekkei Genkai. "Kaminaraigan!" he declared and stood ready for combat once again. "It appears that I'm only wasting words with someone as pathetic as you, so I'll just end all this with one punch! And I'm gonna make sure that B suffers as I did!" Hiruko declared.

A roared in return, and the two Cloud ninjas were about to clash one another once again. Since they both wore Chakra Cloaks, the clash was bound to be intense and cause shockwaves throughout the volcanic landscape.

In another location, Suigetsu was brandishing his sword. The reason? He was up against Nagisa Sorui, also known as the Azure Dragon. The two swordsmen shared a history together during their childhood in the Mist Village, given that Nagisa grew up with both Suigetsu and his older brother Mangetsu. While he was uncertain about how Nagisa had come back to life, Suigetsu was willing to finish what his brother started.

Nagisa sat on a giant rock, facing Suigetsu with eyes of dispassion. For some reason, he had put his sword to rest. But with a challenge coming up, he would need the weapon soon enough.

"I was wondering when you would come. At least you're not a chicken" Nagisa remarked, soon forming a slight smirk with his lips. "Now then, Suigetsu. What do you say we…" the blonde-haired man stopped speaking when he could see his foe drinking water instead of listening to him. This angered Nagisa, as he felt rejected.

As they stood face-to-face, Suigetsu took a slurp from his bottle, and it took a while before he was finished, much to Nagisa's annoyance. Given how incredibly hot it was inside the crater of this volcano, it's no surprise that Suigetsu was thirsty. In fact, the heat had slowly begun to affect his Liquefy Jutsu.

"Ah! That was refreshing! I swear, I'm almost getting fried by just standing in this hellhole!" Suigetsu exclaimed, yet he got slightly more serious when facing Nagisa. "Now that reminds me! How about we settle the score between us once and for all?" he challenged Nagisa while pointing Kubikiribōchō at him.

"I just told you that, numbskull. If only you would've listened" Nagisa reminded him, getting up from the rock he was sitting on.

Still, Suigetsu didn't care what Nagisa said. "Always so smug. Let's see how long you're willing to carry it with you" he taunted his opponent.

So far, the blonde-haired man with the orange eyes didn't seem to take his challenge serious. Pulling up his trident-like sword called Narumi, Nagisa's weapon was bristling with lightning. In Suigetsu's eyes, this only confirmed that his opponent was indeed accepting his challenge.

"You think you're such a hotshot just because the wield the same sword Zabuza Momochi did? Give me a break!" Nagisa said and pointed Narumi at Suigetsu. "Sorry Suigetsu, but you'll need more than gimmicks to best me. It was what led to your brother's failure to defeat me" the young man added to his statement.

Suigetsu gritted his shark-like teeth. He was getting fed up with Nagisa constantly bringing up his deceased older brother. To him, it was just insulting and pathetic at the same time.

"I don't know what really transpired between you and Mangetsu, but you sure as hell don't have the right to badmouth him! Do that one more time and I'll gut you like a fish!" Suigetsu angrily threatened his opponent, feeling an urge to just go ahead and cut Nagisa into many pieces.

Still, Nagisa was far from intimidated by Suigetsu's growing bloodlust. As a matter of fact, he was slightly intrigued. "You know something, since we have clashed with each other these times, I've noticed that you do fight similar to your brother, even though he wielded Hiramekarei" he remarked.

This infuriated Suigetsu, and he really wanted to attack. But there was something he really wanted to know more from his childhood friend. "I still can't believe that you even managed to become a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. I mean, if I recall correctly, the other members objected to you joining the group, not to mention that only seven members were enough. What's the big secret, Nagisa!?" he demanded an answer.

Instead of speaking, Nagisa slammed the butt of Narumi upon the ground, causing the trident-like sword to bristle with lightning. At the same time, a vortex of water began surrounding him. The blonde-haired man was acting confident in face of this challenge.

"Since when did you become so curious to know more about me? If you were smarter then you would've studied the story of our very own village! A shame that you lack Mangetsu's wisdom!" Nagisa insulted Suigetsu one more time.

In fury, Suigetsu charged towards Nagisa, the two Mist swordsmen ready to clash swords once again. Once they did, water was splashed throughout their area, yet it soon dried out given how hot the environment was. Now, they were trying to overpower the other.

"I bet your bones are as fragile as that of a fish!" the white-haired swordsman told his opponent.

"You need teeth to eat! And I'm gonna make you toothless!" Nagisa yelled and proceeded to punch Suigetsu straight in his face. But he was quick to avoid getting hurt by using his Liquefy Jutsu. "Damn it!" the blonde-haired man cursed as Suigetsu moved to another location in that liquefied state of his.

Suigetsu reverted back to his normal state, smirking at Nagisa in the process. "What's wrong? Didn't you say you were gonna make me toothless!?" he tauntingly asked Nagisa before pointing two fingers at him. "Well, haven't lost one so far! DOUBLE WATER GUN!" the white-haired man added to his insult before firing two powerful shots of water simultaneously.

But Nagisa blocked the shots by spinning his Narumi around like a propeller. Realizing that it was fruitless, Suigetsu decided to try another tactic, one that would for certain suffocate and bring his opponent to his knees. Activating his Liquify Jutsu, he shot a blob from his body to Nagisa's head. The blonde-haired man was caught off-guard by this.

"DROWNING WATER BLOB JUTSU!" Suigetsu exclaimed, now trying to suffocate Nagisa to death. He grinned sadistically, trying his best to make sure his opponent's head was contained within the water blob. "There's no getting off it now! You're finally mine, Nagisa!" the swordsman exclaimed, feeling certain about prevailing in this match.

While it looked like Nagisa was struggling to breathe in this tiny bubble, he soon formed a toothy grin while glancing at his opponent. Without delay, something happened to him entirely, much to Suigetsu's disbelief. The water blob around the blonde-haired man's face disappeared and he was glowing teal all around him, as if he was wet with water.

"The Water of Life Jutsu…..a signature ability from the Sorui clan" Nagisa revealed, pointing his trident-like weapon at his foe as it bristled with lightning. "It allows me to dispel enemy abilities, mostly those of water-based jutsus. I take it you didn't realize that until now, didn't you?" he smugly asked Suigetsu.

"No fucking way…..how is that even possible!?" Suigetsu wondered, surprising to see his old friend being capable of escaping his grip.

Before he could come to an answer, Nagisa's sword became empowered by a lightning strike. Without delay, the threw Narumi towards Suigetsu like it was a spear. The white-haired man quickly used his reflexes by blocking the incoming attack with his own sword. But he was struggling, given that Narumi was quite powerful.

Smirking, Nagisa proceeded to perform some handseals while he was in this jutsu of his. He did those quickly. "Getting frisky, yet!? Well, here's a taste of fresh water!" Nagisa told him and prepared his attack. "WATER STYLE: GIANT VORTEX JUTSU!" he declared and Nagisa unleashed a giant vortex of water towards his foe.

Suigetsu felt distressed, and he felt like coming up with a defense, only to be shocked by the electricity on Narumi. This made him vulnerable and he was taken by the gigantic vortex as a result. The attack didn't stop until it reached the wall of rock with Suigetsu in the middle. This resulted in a painful crash, and it even made cracks on the wall.

Suigetsu was still alive, but he was trying to catch his breath, given that he had been attacked by immense pressure from water. But he didn't have time to rest, as he could see Nagisa up in the air. His foe was now preparing to impale him from above with his sword. Suigetsu gritted his teeth in frustration.

"HERE'S A LITTLE PRESENT FOR YOU, SUIGETSU! TRY RESISTING THIS WITH YOUR LIQUEFY JUTSU!" Nagisa exclaimed, with Narumi getting empowered by lightning once again.

Despite seeing what his opponent was doing, Suigetsu couldn't help but to form a smirk with his lips. He knew that Nagisa was getting too full of himself. Now, it was time to teach him a lesson. Clutching onto his sword, he just got the perfect idea on how to proceed with this.

"BRING IT, ASSHOLE!" Suigetsu taunted him and had his Liquefy Jutsu activated once again. But he was not trying on avoiding the attack. Oh no, Suigetsu wanted to clash with Nagisa once again. With his jutsu, he empowered the muscles in his arms, before swinging at his foe. "GREAT WATER ARM JUTSU!" the white-haired man exclaimed while his blade clashed with Nagisa's.

Nagisa gritted his teeth in frustration. "Those overgrown arms won't give you any advantages! That I can promise you!" he snapped at his foe, yet Suigetsu didn't seem to take his words for granted.

As a matter of fact, he grew weary of Nagisa. With all his might, Suigetsu managed to overpower his opponent, thus sending Nagisa flying with a cut across his chest. Suigetsu grinned with satisfaction.

"Now THAT was for insulting my brain! Not much of a peanut now, is it!?" he took a jab at his opponent, who was seen sitting against a pile of rock and struggling to get back on his feet.

But as some conflicts were taking place, there was one that was about to commence between the two last Uchihas. Sasuke, having entered the crater of the volcano, quickly begun searching for his cousin Saizo Uchiha, also known as the Crimson Dragon. After some searching in this desolate environment, the raven-haired man finally stumbled upon the man he had been looking for. Each of them stood and faced one another, not making a move.

But the silence between them ended once Saizo spoke up. "I knew you would come here eventually….Sasuke" he spoke up, his voice bearing nothing but resentment towards his cousin.

It took some seconds before Sasuke had the audacity to reply. "If so, then let us settle this feud between us once and for all" Sasuke told him while drawing out his blade. His black eyes soon closed, trying to hide the sadness within them. "But remember this, Saizo. I'm not doing this because I want to kill you. I'm doing this…because it's what Aunt Akihime would've wanted me to…" he revealed to his cousin.

Unfortunately, Saizo didn't see it that way. He was furious in even hearing the name Akihime being mentioned before him. "So does that mean you finally believe in me now? About the fact that your parents were nothing but pathetic and honorless cowards!?" he demanded an answer out of Sasuke.

As painful as it was for him to hear those words, Sasuke remained firm and opened his eyes to face Saizo. "I know everything! But what they did has nothing to do with me! And they have nothing to do with Itachi either!" he snapped, thus shutting Saizo up completely. "If you believe that being the son of Fugaku is the life of a luxury, then you have sadly mistaken. Believe me, Saizo. He was not a perfect man, he had many flaws. His transgressions are difficult to forgive. But despite this, I know that he was not a ruthless killer. And he was indeed regretful and remorseful about the fates you and Aunt Akihime faced…." Sasuke tried to reach into his cousin's heart, hoping that it would ease his pain.

While Saizo was mute when listening to Sasuke's explanation, his mind soon reverted back to his rage. He hung his head briefly "I told you before, didn't I, Sasuke?" he said lowly before facing his cousin with nothing but anger. His eyes were now transformed into Sharingan. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SUFFERING REALLY IS! THE PAIN OF LONELINESS! THE UNFAIR AND ENDLESS TORTURE IN THE UNDERWORLD! YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THEM YET! SO SHUT UP!" Saizo added to his rage while drawing out his sword.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in rage and frustration. Was this confrontation reminding him about something in the past? Perhaps so, but it was not the one between him and Naruto. Or could it be? Either way, Sasuke knew that there was no other choice to save Saizo. Activating his Sharingan, the raven-haired man knew that this fight would probably become a fight he would regret later in his life, along with the fight against Itachi.

"Then let's finish this" Sasuke said, holding onto his sword, ready to charge at any time.

"You will meet your end here!" Saizo responded back.

While lavas sprouted up all around them, the two Uchihas were prepared for the fight that would determined which of them would survive. Bu deep down inside, Sasuke was saddened that he needed to do this. But did Saizo have similar feelings? He doubted that.

Each of the Uchihas began showing their Chakras, ready to charge one another soon. Once the smoke cleared, they were at each other's throats. Each of them had empowered their swords, with Saizo having black flames on his and Sasuke having lightning on his. They clashed swords, causing the area around them to feel a shockwave, although it wasn't powerful enough to make cracks on the ground. The Uchihas proceeded to engage each other in hand-to-hand combat. As such, they put away their swords for now.

"You're making a terrible mistake here, Saizo! Why can't you realize what you are doing is self-destructive!? Is your hatred for me so great that you're willing to let innocents die!?" Sasuke angrily yelled as he punched Saizo in the gut.

Blood came out of Saizo's mouth, yet he was resilient enough to knee Sasuke in his face, thus forcing him backwards. Despite each of them trading blows, neither Sasuke or Saizo refused to back down.

"What I do is none of your damn business, Sasuke! The only thing that matters is that I get what I want!" Saizo hit back and was ready to perform a jutsu, only for Sasuke to interrupt him with a powerful kick to his left cheek, thus sending him flying for a slight moment.

Sasuke was getting more furious by the minute. "Damn it, Saizo. YOU'RE SO IGNORANT!" the raven-haired man yelled and quickly performed some handseals, intending on unleashing a jutsu upon his cousin. He was creating a Chidori, yet was planning a different attack. "CHIDORI SENBON!" he exclaimed and fired countless of sharp senbon made out of Lightning Chakra.

Saizo got back on his feet and watched in anger as the many senbons of lightning headed straight towards him. Getting up on his feet quickly, he performed some handseals. "FIRE STYLE: FLAMING METEORS!" he exclaimed and created a myriad of small fireballs that headed towards Sasuke. But they were clashing with the many senbons from Sasuke. Given that they were many, the fireballs quickly disintegrated. This left Saizo with no defenses left. As a result, he was taken by Sasuke's attack. It forced him back against the rocky wall.

While Sasuke was pleased that his attack had hit him, he knew better than to dismiss his opponent so easily. He could see that his cousin had so many marks on his body, almost like he had been shot repeatedly. Surprisingly, he stood still, yet his head was hanging.

Even so, Sasuke walked towards his opponent, creating a Chidori in his hand once again. "I'm sorry about this, Naruto. But Saizo is my business. Therefore, I will deal with him. There is no need for your assistance" the raven-haired man thought about Naruto and what he had suggested to him in terms of dealing with Saizo. But he quickly returned his focus on his cousin. "It didn't have to end this, Saizo. You had the opportunity to start your whole life anew. Instead, you choose on resorting to seeking vengeance against me, who had nothing to do with your and Aunt Akihime's deaths. Therefore, you leave me no option but to end your suffering" Sasuke told his cousin, his voice hiding the sadness that dominated his thoughts.

So far, Saizo had remained still against the wall of rock, yet he could be heard breathing. As Sasuke was preparing to deliver the final blow with a powerful Chidori, he stopped once he could see black flames enveloping around Saizo.

"You damn fool….to me, death is nothing but another test…it's not a choice that defines whether you are good or evil. And more importantly…" Saizo said, slowly raising up his head. His eyes were closed, but it didn't take long before they opened, thus revealing his Mangekyo Sharingan. "IT'S SOMETHING SOMEONE LIKE YOU WILL UNDERSTAND ONCE YOU FACE IT!" he yelled and he released a burst of black flames. It was quite powerful.

Sasuke immediately ceased his Chidori and jumped backwards to see what his cousin was actually doing. To his disbelief, something happened with his cousin. "What the hell!? Is this how Saizo activates his Amaterasu!?" he wondered.

Saizo jumped up in the air and was ready to attack Sasuke once again. "I WILL BURY YOU HERE!" he yelled, and something happened with his crimson reptile-like eyes. "INFERNO STYLE: DEMON HEAT RAY!" he exclaimed and he fired black flame out of his eyes, in the form of a small beam. This beam was powerful enough to actually make cuts on the volcanic ground around Sasuke.

From those cuts, lava emerged and it began surrounding Sasuke. With little choice, he jumped up in the air in order to avoid getting swallowed. At the same time, his Sharingan quickly transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan. The raven-haired man was furious, and could see that Saizo was planning on attacking him.

"DAMN YOU, SAIZO!" Sasuke cursed out loud and could see that Saizo was preparing his attack with his eyes once again. In addition to that, he also dived towards him. Realizing that he would have to come up with a defense, Sasuke unleashed the black flames of Amaterasu himself. "INFERNO STYLE: HONOIKAZUCHI!" he declared and Sasuke surrounded himself with spikes of black flame. He was intending on impaling Saizo.

One of the spikes managed to pierce Saizo straight through his stomach. He was driven towards the rocky wall once again. At this rate, Sasuke was confident that his cousin would die, given that the black flames would not vanish until the thing they were upon was gone. To his own shock, Saizo was found smirking and chuckling to himself.

"WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY!? WHY ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!? NO ONE CAN…" Sasuke had to stop in order to avoid getting shot by what appeared to be a black arrow.

"You stupid son of a bitch. I have already been dead! And I've even managed to do what no human could ever accomplish…..master the art of the Black Flame and embrace it fully!" Saizo exclaimed and proceeded to send some of the black fire towards Sasuke.

But Sasuke was too fast for him, and he immediately landed on a safe spot on the ground. Luckily there was no lava surrounding him. Looking up, the raven-haired man scowled in seeing what Saizo was trying to do now. He too had landed on the ground, but was now preparing an attack. Saizo was gathering all the black flame on his right hand, transforming his hand into pitch black along with the flames.

Realizing that his cousin meant business, Sasuke knew how to respond to this attack. Performing some handseals, he gathered enough Chakra he could muster into his Chidori. But this one was different, as he was now having the Six Paths Power within it, causing the lightning itself to change drastically. Regardless, this attack was bound to be powerful.

"You keep speaking so fondly of this Black Flame? Has death really changed you that much!? And who managed to bring you back to life!? ANSWER ME, SAIZO!" Sasuke demanded some answers out of his cousin.

But Saizo showed no signs of being willing to respond to his cousin. Oh no, he would rather continue this fight. And Sasuke had also managed to enrage him when mentioning death. It only reminded Saizo about what he himself had experienced. The constant abuse of his fellow Uchihas, the bullying and shunning he had received from his teammates, as well as the unjust murder of him and his mother. Those very feelings only empowered his rage towards Sasuke.

"I DON'T WANNA HEAR ANOTHER DAMN WORD OUT OF YOU, SASUKE! THE ONLY THINK THAT YOU DESERVE IS A ONE-WAY TICKET TO THE UNDERWORLD! THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND HOW DEATH TRULY WORKS!" Saizo roared and charged straight towards Sasuke. His cousin responded by doing the same thing. Once again, the two cousins were planning on clashing attacks. But this was bound to get uglier than before. Raising his right hand, Saizo was preparing to deliver the attack. "HELL AWAITS YOU! KUROAGO!" he exclaimed.

Sasuke was not intimidated, and responded by unleashing his rage and attack upon Saizo. "CHIDORI!" he yelled back.

When the two attacks met, it caused the entire ground to become a pit. Each Uchiha faced one another with deadly eyes, intending on prevailing in this match. But as they were having this fight, something could be heard in each of their heads. It was the sound of laughter and joy coming from children.

Indeed, Saizo and Sasuke thought back to the days when they were younger, as well as how they used to play along with Itachi. But given that Itachi was sometimes busy, Saizo would often spend time playing with his younger cousin. But the most memorable moment they could never forget was when they drank the cup of unity, promising to become strong shinobis in the future, as well as sticking up for one another in times of need.

But these memories meant nothing to Saizo. His memories of the dead had a far stronger impact on him than false dreams. Even so, Sasuke was willing to hold onto them. If he ever let go, then he could never forgive himself. But not just that, Itachi and even his deceased parents would have never forgiven him. He had to end Saizo, and bring him the peace he finally deserved.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Author's note: The fight on the Island of Tides has begun! There will be more chapters to come. And of course, we will see Kenrojin in action. In the meantime, Naruto and his gang will also figure out a way in how they can assist those fighting inside the volcano. Someone has to take care of Kenrojin's minions (while I understand it may be strange, I though these volcanic creatures matched perfectly to be the dragon's minions. And wait till you see what comes out of his eggs). Now as for the three fights we have seen here. I may plan on writing a flashback part for Hiruko and Nagisa, since we know a little about Saizo. But of course, their current matches is what matters most. I'd always wanted A and Suigetsu to have chances to shine, and here you go. But there will be some form of assistance to each of these fights.**


	33. The Purpose of Battle

**Author's note: The battle on the Island of Tides continues. Something drastic will happen at the end, which probably make you think about a scene from movies such as Poseidon or The Perfect Storm. But I will let you find out by reading. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 33: The Purpose of Battle**

 _Inside the depths of the volcano, the Island of Tides_

Having succeeded in defeating the enemy outside, the combined group of Leaf, Mist and Cloud ninjas entered the volcano, in hopes of finding out what A, Sasuke and Suigetsu had been doing. On the other hand, they had hoped to find some of the victims of the human trafficking, who were in danger due to Kenrojin lurking nearby. At this rate, it was the dragon that was the main threat to not just this group, but to the entire world as well.

Wandering through the system of caverns, the group was in for a shocker in seeing where they had arrived at. Right before their eyes, heat, smoke and cinders could be felt in the air. It was almost an unbearable scene for them to see, even though they had seen worse during the Fourth Shinobi World War. Even so, the volcanic landscape stunned everyone.

"I don't believe it! What was once a tall mountain…has now become a giant volcano with so much pollution!" Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage exclaimed in shock.

"Indeed. This transformation alone only confirms the kind of powers Kenrojin possesses. It looks even more terrible than what I first imagined" Tsunade spoke up, agreeing with what her fellow Kage said.

"So we do know what we're up against. But where is the Raikage? As well as Sasuke and that Mist swordsman? I can't seem to find…." Kakashi was struggling to see clearly in this chaotic environment.

"Hold on! I see where the Raikage is! He's down there battling Hiruko Sado!" Darui exclaimed, with fellow Cloud ninjas joining in on spotting their superior. They could now see that the Fourth Raikage was battling Hiruko, and they were both using their Chakra Cloaks.

"He's been doing well, so far…impressive" Cee remarked in seeing how A was doing.

Amidst this heat, Karin had begun noticing other sources of Chakra in this desolate area. The four-eyed redhead immediately recognized who they belonged to. "And over there! I think I see Sasuke and Suigetsu! They're also battling someone" Karin told those around her, and she was joined up with Naruto, Juugo and other close friends. "They're over there battling Saizo and Nagisa respectively! But given the amount of lava here, it will be difficult for us to reach them" she added to her statement.

Naruto had managed to activate his Six Paths Sage Mode, thus giving him the ability to watch things closer from a far distance. From what he could tell, neither Sasuke nor Saizo had been defeated, and were both standing still. But Naruto was still concerned about his friend.

"Sasuke…" he muttered, still thinking about the challenges Sasuke was wiling to face.

"He needs us, Naruto" the blonde-haired man's thoughts were interrupted by Sakura. He faced her with a raised eyebrow. The pinkette nodded her head firmly. "I don't care about what you agreed with him, we can't allow Sasuke to shoulder all this burden on himself. We're his friends, remember?" Sakura added to her statement.

Hearing this made Naruto chuckle. "Heh. I'd like you to say that to him personally, Sakura" he jokingly said, but quickly reverted back to his serious persona with regards to Sasuke. "Anyway, you're right. He can't do this on his own. And I plan on officially go there and help him" he then revealed to Sakura and his friends.

"But are you planning on going there all by yourself?" Lee asked him, causing Naruto to wave at him dismissively.

"Hell no! You can all join me if you wanna, but it's preferable that only few of you guys are with me" Naruto told Lee and the others while smiling at them. "We need someone to stand here with the main group and coordinate our rescuing of the trafficking victims that are still on this island. They must be saved before Kenrojin or anything else becomes their end" the blonde-haired man revealed.

Most of Naruto's friends were in favor of what he was suggesting. "That sounds very thoughtful of you, Naruto. As a matter of fact, I think me and Asami should be among those shinobis doing the search" Sai told him before facing Sakura. "Now as for you, Sakura. Will you accompany Naruto?" he asked her.

"You got that right? But we could need two more to join with us. Anyone here who would like to…." the pinkette stopped speaking once she and the rest of the group could hear what appeared to be roars.

It shut everybody up. "What was that noise!? Is it that dragon!?" Chouji wondered, feeling very insecure at the moment.

"I don't think so, Chouji. From the way I heard it, it sounded like there was more that roared. But isn't there only one dragon on this island?" Ino asked, confused by this matter.

It didn't take long before they could hear what appeared to be cracks along the giant walls of rock surrounding them. At first, they thought it was an earthquake. But that didn't turn out to be the case. Given that so many cracks appeared simultaneously could only mean one thing. As soon as holes began appearing, something emerged out of them. It was what appeared to be serpentine dragons, and they were similar to Kenrojin in terms of appearance. However, these dragons were smaller, yet large enough to become a threat to the combined group of shinobis.

"Those things! They are dragons!" Yamato expressed his disbelief in what he saw.

"But I thought there was only one dragon here!" Hyozan exclaimed out in disbelief.

"I don't know! But these things look a lot like Kenrojin, except for being smaller and less hideous!" Shikamaru expressed his belief in what the answer was.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, watching as the swarms of dragons turned their attention towards the group of shinobis. Obviously, they were planning on attacking them. She was joined by Mei, the two Kages realizing what they were up against.

"Seeing these smaller dragons here can only mean one thing" Tsunade spoke up.

"Yes. Kenrojin has been laying eggs! And these must be his recent hatchlings! Surely there must be more eggs on this island!" Mei expressed her concern about the threat of these hatchlings.

In addition to the threat of the smaller dragons, more lava elementals began emerging from the pools of lava, along with lava hounds and other monstrosities created in Kenrojin's image. Apparently, there was more of them that had yet to be defeated.

"Not these things again! I swear, I'm getting tired of these elementals reappearing over and over again!" Kiba expressed his frustration with the situation.

"Then how about we have a competition here, Kiba? Which of us can take out most" Shino was trying to cheer his teammate up, surprisingly adding some humor to it. "You always want to prove that you are a tough fighter. Well, we can do this here if you want" the man with the sunglasses told him.

"C-Count me in too!" the voice came from Hinata, the blunette giggling at her teammates. Both Kiba and Shino were looking at her rather surprised, much to her slight amusement. "Come on. There's need for you to be so overprotective of me anymore. This time, it's my turn to watch over you. Didn't you see how good I did on the Moon?" she reminded them.

Kiba and Shino smiled, with the brown-haired Inuzuka walking towards her and hugged her lovingly, causing Hinata to snap in surprise. Apparently, she had not expected that. Even so, she quickly returned the hug. Ocne it was over, Kiba grinned at her cheekily.

"Of course, we're not gonna leave you out of it, Hinata! Why would we? That would only be unfair to you, right Akamaru?" he asked his dog partner, who barked in agreement. Kiba then turned his attention towards their friends. "Anybody else who wanna join this game?" he asked.

"Me and Tenten!" Lee raised his hand, much to the surprise of his girlfriend.

"Lee! What are you…..." the brunette was stopped in her sentences once Lee reached around her shoulders.

"Come on, Tenten! This will be fun, trust me!" he assured her, forcing Tenten to realize how fruitless it was to prevent him from joining this game.

"Okay, you win" Tenten gave in to Lee's wish.

Naruto smiled, as he knew how his friends would always find a mood to getting themselves prepared for battles. However, he had a feeling that this one would be in the same manner as the one two years ago, except for the fact that this battle didn't involve all shinobis across the globe.

"Then we all know what's at stake here! We fight these things before we can come and help Sasuke and the others!" Naruto told everyone.

Tsunade and Mei smirked, the two women preparing to face off against the dragons and the lava elementals. Hopefully, they would then be able to assist A with this battle of his, if the Raikage wanted assistance from them at all. Either way, neither woman seemed to care about what he thought.

So far, A was having a hard time dealing with Hiruko Sado. But he had delivered quite a blow upon him by using the Lightning Self Bomb technique. As such, he had thrown Hiruko onto the ground, thus creating cracks all around it. But at the same time, A had taken notice of the arrival of Naruto, Kakashi, Tsunade, Mei and the others inside the volcano. The Fourth Raikage was in disbelief of what he was seeing.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing! They still have the guts to show themselves before me!?" A loudly wondered, his rage and frustration slowly taking hold of him.

But this slight distraction enabled his opponent to strike A underneath, and he was punched in his chin, thus sent five meters away. Hiruko proceeded to chase after A with his fast speed. As he ran, he had begun taking notice of the Cloud ninjas that had appeared in the area, although they were more concentrated on fighting Kenrojin's minions.

Scanning them quickly, he realized that Killer B was not among them. "Heh, so you didn't have the ball to come here? Why am I even surprised at all? I've always known you to be pathetic, Killer B" Hiruko spoke negatively about the man he had known since childhood.

But he soon returned his focus on the fight, as A was quick to get up on his feet, and wiped off the blood on his face. The Raikage remained defiant towards Hiruko, refusing to yield.

"HAH! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT!? THAT PUNCH DIDN'T HURT ONE BIT!" A scolded his opponent, much to his irritation.

Hiruko had activated his clan's infamous Kekkei Genkai: Kaminaraigan. But even with those eyes, A was still able to fight on par with him. This enraged the baldheaded man, as he realized that he would now be willing to take this fight to the death.

"Why don't you just die, already!? I'm tired of you and your bullshit criticism!" Hiruko snapped, but soon calmed himself. Closing his eyes, he made sure the Chakra inside him was composed. "Screw this asshole! I'd rather finish this quick!" he angrily thought, not even opening his mouth nor eyes.

A stood his guard and wondered what Hiruko was actually planning on doing. But he was in for a shock, as his opponent began unleashing a burst of golden lightning all around them. Hiruko's Chakra Cloak had transformed into complete yellow. And his eyes were pale white as the snow itself. A had seen this transformation before, during his fight against Hiruko's older brother.

"Impossible! Has he mastered his Kaminaraigan!? But I thought only Hyakushige was the only Sado capable of this! Then again, this was to be expected. There's no need for naivety here" the Raikage noted to himself.

Hiruko's exposed torso and arms were empowered by more muscle. As he took a step forward, the ground beneath him shook a little. He was frowning deeply while facing against A. "This form of mine sure brings back memories, doesn't it!? Well, of course! Since it was in this form that you killed Hyuakushige!" he snarled at the Raikage. Hiruko stood in his fighting stance, ready to charge at his opponent anytime. "Well I don't intend on going down the same way he did!? I'll honor him by sending your head to his grave! And your body will be hung up in the Cloud Village for everyone to see!" he added to what he would do once A was defeated.

Despite this, A was not giving up. "I see. You have finally decided to unleash your full power against me. In that case, it would only be fair with I do the same thing!" he said and suddenly gathered all Chakra he had inside his body. His Chakra Cloak became empowered to its 100 % capacity. Lightning was bristling all over his body, and his hair stood right up like spikes. Once he was finished, A took some time to catch his breath, his eye still focused on his opponent. "I accept your challenge, Hiruko! But know that I will show no mercy as I've done in the past! Only one of us may emerge out of this alive!" the Raikage loudly told Hiruko.

The pale-eyed man didn't take A's words for granted. No, he had done enough of such things. Instead, he began charging straight towards the Raikage, who only responded in kind. With each man wearing powerful Chakra Cloaks, the match between them was bound to get deadlier.

In this clash, A emerged victorious by using the Lateral Bolt of Pain upon his enemy's head, thus sending him rolling on the ground. Unfortunately for A, Hiruko got quickly back to his senses and stood his ground. Infuriated, the Raikage proceeded to charge towards Hiruko with his fast speed. But rather than charging head on, A jumped up in the air, intending on delivering a powerful downwards kick upon Hiruko.

"GUILLOTINE DROP!" the Raikage exclaimed, his downwards kick gaining strength as he fell towards Hiruko.

The baldheaded man gritted his teeth in frustration, refusing to be bested by his brother's killer. Still, he didn't feel like he was in a very bad position. Before A could deliver his attack upon him, Hiruko vanished, causing the Raikage to crush the volcanic ground. Despite missing his target, A immediately understood that Hiruko had used Teleportation Jutsu in order to avoid getting hit.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM….." A could hear an angry voice coming from above. It was Hiurko, who was delivering a downwards attack with his right elbow.

"ELBOW BOLT!" Hiruko yelled as his right elbow hit the Raikage's head, causing him to scream out in pain. Blood sprouted out from his mouth and nose and his angry eyes widened in pain. Hiruko grinned in what he was seeing. "NOW HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GET YOUR SKULL CRACKED!?" he insultingly asked A, who was trying to overcome the aftereffects of his attack.

A could feel the pain, yet he stubbornly tried to withstand it. With all his might, he proceeded to launch a powerful taijutsu technique upon Hiruko. The Raikage managed to hit him on his chest, causing Hiruko to feel some pain. Blood began sprouting out of his nose and mouth as well.

"LARIAT!" A declared and his opponent was sent some feet backwards. The Raikage stood still, realizing that it was time to finish off Hiruko once and for all. Therefore, he knew what move to use upon him. Charhing his Chakra Cloak, A dashed towards his opponent with an incredible speed. "IT'S OVER, HIRUKO! LIGHTNING STRAIGHT!" he yelled and was ready to attack Hiruko with maximum speed. He was intending on ending him, despite having regrets in doing so.

In the minute he could see A charging towards him, Hiruko needed to mount a defense against his opponent. But something else hit in his head. The Raikage's move brought him bitter memories. Hiruko remembered exactly how it was with this technique A had managed to defeat Hyakushige.

"No…I won't let history repeat itself….NOT THIS TIME!" Hiruko loudly declared and proceeded to close his bright eyes.

As he did that, Hiruko was trying to estimate and study his opponent's speed. He also listened to the sparkling sound coming from A's Chakra Cloak. When he realized that the time to strike was now, Hiruko gathered his strength and waited until the Raikage was near him.

Roaring, Hiruko delivered a powerful punch in A's stomach. This punch alone was strong enough to force the Raikage to stop. Blood sprouted out from his mouth. But Hiruko was not yet finished attacking him.

"THIS WHERE YOU DIE!" Hiurko roared and he punched A in the chest, punched him in the stomach again, then headbutted his opponent. This resulted in the Raikage bouncing off the ground, given Hiruko's powers. He then swung his arms to generate a wind aura as his opponent was falling down to him. "IT'S OVER FOR YOU! NOW DIE! LIGHTNING DRAGON BREATH!" he roared an delivered a powerful double handpalm punch in A's stomach. The Raikage was sent flying and he crashed into the nearest pile of rock.

Given that he had used up a lot of his energy, Hiruko took his time to catch his breath. But while he did that, the Sado couldn't help but to form a smile of satisfaction. That's right, he was feeling very satisfied over what he had accomplished. He could see that A has been badly beaten, and was now onto one knee. He had bruises and bleedings everywhere across his body.

"Yes…at last…..FINALLY! NOW YOU SEE WHO IS THE WEAKLING AMONG US, A! NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO SUFFER!" he loudly declared in seeing his hated enemy badly beaten.

At the same time, A was trying to catch his breath. But he could feel that the entire Chakra in his body was almost at its limit. Even so, it was not defeat in combat that was troubling the Raikage the most. No, he knew that someone like Hiruko and the rest of the Sados would never forgive him. As such, he realized that his death was imminent.

While Hiruko had been fighting A, Nagisa was having his own issues with Suigetsu. When the minions and hatchlings of Kenrojin had arrived, neither swordsman seemed to be surprised. Still, Nagisa couldn't help but to whistle in amazement once he saw the smaller dragons start attacking the group of shinobis that had arrived.

"Wow. So that's why he was so miserable. He just wanted to lay his eggs in peace!" the blonde-haired man remarked, before catching a glimpse of a few of the Mist ninjas that had showed up in the volcano. "I see Shachi, Hyozan, Mei and…wait a second! Is that who I think it is!?" he almost fell down to the ground laughing in seeing Chojuro standing among the crowd.

Suigetsu only stood dumbfounded. How could he opponent be acting like this in face of the fight. But then again, he himself considered the four-eyed assistant to the Mizukage a wimp.

"Man! Don't tell me that Hiramekarei's new wielder is that lousy twerp Chojuro! Of all the alternatives, he had to be it!" Nagisa couldn't stop laughing at what he was seeing. He seemed to have known the four-eyed man sometime in the past, not that Suigetsu didn't seem to care.

His opponent was fuming with irritation. "Hello! Are we gonna continue where we left off!?" Suigetsu called out to Nagisa while pulling up his sword. "This time, we won't let anything interrupt our match! It's not over until one of us lies facing the dirt!" he added, the bloodlust slowly taking hold upon him.

The blonde-haired man with the orange eyes simply stared at him dismissively. He proceeded to put his trident-like sword onto the ground. "Just give it up, Suigetsu. You may have your talents in swordsmanship, but it pales when compared to mine. Get it straight!" Nagisa berated Suigetsu.

"Why do you always keep talking as if people around you are shit!? I swear, this attitude of yours is only starting to piss me off! It only makes me wanna tear you to shreds even more, Nagisa!" he hit back, not hiding his hostility. "Even today, I still recall how you always babbled about your family being almighty and stuff. I just can't believe how Mangetsu considered you a friend" Suigetsu added to his explanation.

Despite hearing this from him, Nagisa continued to glance at Suigetsu sanctimoniously. "It's not that difficult to understand, Suigetsu. After all, the Hidden Mist Village owes its existence to the Sorui clan. And the same goes for clans that lives in it such as the Hozukis and Hoshigakes" he revealed.

Suigetsu got pissed in hearing what his opponent said. "Don't give me that bullshit! Like my clan would ever owe you anything!" he hissed at his hated enemy.

"But it's not, my simpleminded friend. You see, the Mist Village was created during the Warring States Period. Because of that, thousands of shinobis across the Land of Water and the surrounding islands moved there to start new beginnings. And we both know who could accomplish such a great job. Yes, the First Mizukage, the same man who founded the village. His name was Byakuren Sorui" Nagisa began telling his former friend a secret that only a few Mist ninjas knew.

Suigetsu's purple eyes widened in disbelief. "What….no…that's impossible! According to the scrolls, the First Mizukage was both clanless and childless! There's no way that you could possibly…" he was interrupted by a provoked Nagisa swinging his blade. He did that mostly out of frustration and anger in hearing him say those words.

Luckily for Suigetsu, he had activated his Liquefy Jutsu just in time to avoid getting attacked. Therefore, Nagisa didn't injure him. Using his liquified form, Suigetsu moved to another location while holding his sword. He grinned at his opponent smugly.

"Heh. You forgot to electrify your weapon. Too bad for you, Nagisa!" Suigetsu taunted him and deactivated his signature jutsu.

Annoyed, Nagisa pointed his trident at Suigetsu and fired electricity at him. But the white-haired man responded to this quickly by blocking the attack with his sword. He then charged at Nagisa, who was performing some handseals quickly.

"Water Style: Great Cannon Ball Jutsu!" Nagisa exclaimed and he fired a giant blast of water from his mouth. It had strong steam, something his opponent was painfully aware of.

Suigetsu smirked as he ran towards the water. "While I could use my Liquefy Jutsu, I'm afraid this stream is too strong for even me to resist. But I just had this fantastic idea!" he thought and decided to thrust his blade forward. By using his Chakra around it, Suigetsu created something out of water. "Water Style: Water Shark Blade!" he exclaimed loudly. With the help of his blade, he fired a shark made out of the water as a projectile towards his opponent.

This water shark was powerful enough to clash against Nagisa's attack, and it proceeded to head straight towards Nagisa. As a matter of fact, his attack didn't stop the water shark as it simply swam through it.

Seeing this, Nagisa was stunned in how Suigetsu had learned such a jutsu. Without delay, he began activating the mysterious ability of his called the Water of Life Jutsu. The man with the orange eyes began staring into the water shark's. In just a few seconds, it did the unthinkable. The water shark turned around and headed back towards Suigetsu. To the white-haired swordsman outrage, this water shark was now attacking him.

Given its speed, Suigetsu narrowly managed to dodge the attack by diving sideways. But the quickly got up on his feet, turning his rage against Nagisa. "You son of a bitch! That was one of my favorite moves! Is that ability of yours able to take advantage of my attacks against me!?" he angrily demanded an answer.

"Given what you just saw, the answer to that is painfully obvious" the blonde-haired man replied to his opponent as if it was no surprise. "But still, I must admit you surprised me with that technique of yours, Suigetsu. To think that you would learn from none other than Kisame Hoshigaki himself. Astounding, I must say" Nagisa went on expressing what he felt about this.

Suigetsu spit out blood while facing Nagisa. "I guess this fight's gonna take more than tough guts to accomplish" he noted to himself, admitting that the fight against Nagisa was getting tougher by the minute.

Amidst all this commotion, Sasuke and Saizo were standing still in a crater. Their recent clash had created this spot. Still, none of the Uchihas were yielding. They would not rest until the other was defeated. Each had activated their Mangekyo Sharingan, and blood was streaming from their crimson eyes. After some minutes in catching their breaths, Sasuke broke the silence between them by speaking.

"I thought you were better than this, Saizo…." Sasuke spoke up, his voice low yet firm at the same time. "You survived death itself…yet you still carried this senseless hatred towards my family…our family. And worse, you have the nerve to speak negatively about Itachi!" Sasuke added, his voice slowly raising to a new volume.

So far, Saizo had done nothing but to glare at him with silence. He didn't open his mouth to either retort or interrupt his cousin. He kept quiet and listened to what Sasuke was saying. However, Saizo's silent treatment only angered Sasuke.

"Stop giving me this muted response! You know damn well what I'm talking about! When you were alone…...you always had Itachi to turn to….and me as well! We were the only friends you ever had! You honestly believe that we were complicit in what happened with you and Aunt Akihime!?" Sasuke asked once again, getting slightly emotional as he mentioned their past together. He also had to fight back tears.

While Saizo didn't respond verbally, he did in fact close his crimson eyes, as if he was trying to reflect on something. Regardless, Sasuke still saw this as the silent treatment. But it didn't take long before Saizo opened his eyes.

"I never said you nor Itachi were the ones to murder us, Sasuke. Still, I can't let go of my rage towards your parents. They committed something against me and my mother that was completely unjustified" he revealed to him, his voice low yet cold.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger. "But you still had someone who cared about you, not just us! Shisui, Izumi and even Teyaki and Uruchi, they all believed that despite your weaknesses…you were destined for something great to all shinobis!" he loudly retorted, trying to make his cousin open his eyes to the truth.

When he heard those words, Saizo's mind drifted back into the past. The Uchiha with the scar across his face slowly started to remember these persons Sasuke had mentioned just now. And it was true. While the majority of the Uchiha clan resented and despised Saizo…these people were the only ones to treat him differently. But on the other hand, he was rarely seen with these people, given that he was forced into immense training by his sensei and others in order to improve his abilities. Even so, Saizo never succeeded in becoming what many had said he would be. As the voices filled with resentment began haunting him, Saizo's rage was brought back into motion.

Angrily facing Sasuke, he approached his cousin and grabbed him by the collar of his vest. "CARE ABOUT ME!? WHERE WERE THEY WHEN I WAS HURT AND HELPLESS!? WHERE WERE THEY WHEN I WAS BURNED AND BROKEN!? WHERE WERE THEY WHEN I WAS CONDEMNED TO DIE!?" Saizo angrily demanded, his eyes never leaving sight of his cousin. Still, Sasuke had not even flinched in face of being held like this.

But Sasuke was not giving in. "WE WERE THERE WITH YOU, SAIZO! EVEN THOUGH YOU COULDN'T SEE IT…me, Itachi, Shisui, Izumo, Teyaki and Uruchi all grieved for your death…and we never forgot about the kindness you were known for….." the raven-haired man revealed to Saizo, his voice getting slightly emotional. Sasuke was trying his best to hold back his tears. "But because of everything that transpired in my life, including the massacre and my fixation upon avenging all Uchihas…..I forgot about you. It took many years before I could come to terms with what really defined me as a shinobi. And one of them is protecting the Leaf Village" he added to his explanation.

While listening to Sasuke's words, Saizo had let go of his collar. He was now beginning to reflect on those words. Although it had taken an affect on him, Saizo refused to fully trust in Sasuke. With his quick wits, he reached for his sword. To his surprise, Sasuke had also drawn out his, and the two cousins were clashing blades once again.

"Don't you dare pulling this on me, Sasuke" Saizo told his opponent lowly. "YOU THINK I WILL SIMPLY LISTEN TO YOU SO EASILY!? FUCKING IDIOT! I'M NOT THE SAME CLUELESS BOY AS I WAS BEFORE!" he swore at his cousin.

Sasuke became enraged when he listened to his cousin's hateful words. "YOU'RE THE FUCKING IDIOT HERE!" he hit back with all his anger. As he did that, his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan had come to life, thus surprising Saizo slightly. "IF YOU WON'T LISTEN TO ME…THEN I'LL JUST BEAT YOUR HEAD UNTIL IT'S CLEAR OF YOUR DELUSIONS!" Sasuke yelled and proceeded to push his opponent away from him.

Saizo was some meters backwards, yet it was most likely a push. He stood firm and faced Sasuke warily. "So my assumptions turned out to be correct….you really have emerged stronger…..more promising than Madara…" he remarked, surprisingly commending his cousin.

When hearing this, Sasuke simply scowled with resentment. "I've been told that before…...but I honestly despise being likened to Madara…...we're nothing alike!" Sasuke told his cousin, his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan being fixated upon him. "And the same goes for you! You said you were dissatisfied of Madara, yet you're following in his footsteps! Now who plays the fool!?" he demanded an answer out of Saizo.

"You compare me to him? I'm not amused, Sasuke! You fail to notice how completely different we are!" Saizo told him and he called the black flames to his side once more. His crimson reptile-like Sharingan were in full display for Sasuke to see. "Madara Uchiha succeeded in one thing no one else could…he escaped torment in the Underworld. As such, he never had to endure pain. But I didn't have the luxury. I was held down in the lightless pits of darkness, for something that I didn't deserve! For almost an eternity…...I spent there enduring endless torture…...witnessing horrific beings…...yet managed to survive with only one thought in mind: destroy it all. Everything that infests on this wretched world and what is beyond it! It all must be destroyed! I have no qualms about sending this world to its downfall! When all creation and life has been reduced to inexistence, there will be no more death…..no more Afterworld….no more Underworld…only…..nothing! That is the death I truly seek!" Saizo began explaining what his real plans were.

Sasuke only stood and listened in fear to what his cousin was saying. Saizo had no interest in power, let alone binding a world under a spell similar to the Infinite Tuskuyomi. Saizo wanted to end all existence, bring everything to nothingness. And not just the world, but perhaps the Moon too. In some ways, he was similar to what Toneri Otsutsuki wanted…...except for the fact that Saizo was much worse. And with his alliance sealed with Kenrojin, such idea was fruitful.

In spite of hearing all this, Sasuke's rage burned within him. Even now, his purple flames began creating all around him. As such, Sasuke was activating his Susanoo. "You have no idea what you are dealing with…Saizo. You seek to end all life…..even those who are not guilty for your death…..that only pisses me off!" he spoke harshly towards his cousin. But as his Susanoo was getting completed, Sasuke faced directly into his cousin's eyes. "I WON'T FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!" he yelled at him.

While that had happened, Saizo had activated his own Susanoo, and it giant dragon-like figure of black flames came to life. He was now prepared to face his cousin in battle. And from the looks of it, Saizo had no regrets telling Sasuke of what his plan was. It had only encouraged him to end Sasuke for good.

"Do your worst, Sasuke! But you're not gonna stop me from ending everything! I will not rest until I am free of this curse!" Saizo replied back, his Susanoo moving its wings.

When he heard Saizo say those words, Sasuke couldn't help but to wonder. Was his cousin preferring death? Did he wish to stay dead instead of being brought back to life? Sasuke's head was conflicted, yet he understood one thing: Saizo had to be put down. Whatever led him to this maddened plan of his, Sasuke would not let close blood relations prevent him from stopping Saizo.

"I WON'T LET YOU DO IT, SAIZO! I WILL NEVER LOSE TO YOU!" Sasuke snapped at her cousin. But as he did that, the raven-haired man was thinking about a promise he had made to Akihime. Deep inside him, Sasuke apologized. "Aunt Akihime…...please forgive me for doing this. But I must do what is best for this world and the innocent people" he thought, feeling somewhat guilty to have broken the promise to his deceased aunt.

While the battles raged on, Naruto and his close friends were dealing with Kenrojin's minions. The blonde-haired man had even activated his Tailed Beast Mode. His powers, coupled with the extraordinary strengths from Sakura, Hinata and Lee made them more than capable of handling the monstrous lava elementals that were encroaching upon them.

When Sakura managed to take one down, she was joined by Naruto. The couple then glanced over to the direction where Sasuke and Saizo were. They realized that the Uchihas were taking their fight to the next level, given that they had activated their Susanoos.

"He really means business with dealing with Saizo. But is he capable of doing this on his own?" Sakura asked Naruto.

"I would like to find out myself, Sakura. While I do want to let Sasuke deal with this…there's a feeling in my gut telling me that he really…" Naruto was interrupted by the appearance of a dragon hatchling diving towards them. "SAKURA! WATCH OUT!" he exclaimed while grabbing the pinkette and moving her to another location.

It was obvious that the dragon was attempting to catch them with his jaws, yet they got away quickly. But amidst the commotion, Lee emerged and delivered a powerful punch on the serpentine creature's snout. This resulted in Lee sending the dragon flying (no pun intended).

"FEROCIOUS FIST!" Lee exclaimed, his muscles in his right arm tightening. Landing on the ground, the green-robed man turned around to face Naruto and Sakura with his usual confident smile. "Are you guys alright? These dragons sure are slippery ones" Lee remarked.

The couple nodded their heads in reply. "We're fine. We almost forgot how we had to contend with flying enemies as well" Sakura replied.

Naruto narrowed his eyes upon the dragons. "Hmmm…...they won't be around for much longer I'm afraid. Not when Kurama is giving us a helping paw" he told his friends.

Sakura couldn't help but to express concern about what Naruto was planning. "Is that such a good idea, Naruto?" she asked him, before turning her gaze towards Sasuke and Saizo clashing against each other. "But given the circumstances, I guess it may be a good move" the pinkette added, realizing how it could be beneficial if Naruto called upon Kurama for help.

All over the volcanic landscape, their friends were striving to defend their own lives. Hinata, who surprisingly did well in defending herself, realized that Kiba and Akamaru were struggling a little against a pack of lava hounds. Therefore, she quickly rushed to his side, managing to attack a lava hound that was trying to sneak up on the Inuzuka-duo from behind.

Kiba and Akamaru immediately turned around to see her. "Ah Hinata. Thanks for taking him out for me. These sneaky bastards resort to all kinds of tactics, almost like a pack of wolves" he remarked before facing Akamaru. "But then again, they're not so different from us, wouldn't agree, buddy?" he then asked his companion who barked in agreement.

Hinata had her Byakugan activated and as such, she could see how Kiba's body was faring. The bluenette grew slightly worried. "Kiba…..remember what Lady Tsunade told you back on the ship. We can't afford to have you fighting on the frontlines. You're still recovering from the injuries you received from Toneri" the Hyuuga reminded him.

Kiba shrugged his shoulders, even glancing at his girlfriend with a cocky grin. "No need to fret, Hinata. Me and Akamaru have our survival covered. We know when to back down" he told her, only to look past Hinata to spot something heading towards them. "Speaking of backing down, there's lava horses heading towards us!" he snapped.

Hinata quickly turned around, and Kiba was right. A group of lava horses were aiming their focus on the couple, given that they were a bit farther away from the main group. And they se

Hinata stood in ger Gentle Fist Art stance. "Stand back, Kiba! I will try to deal with these…" the bluenette stopped in her sentence once her and the Inuzuka-duo could hear a loud yell coming from behind them.

"SPIKEY HUMAN BOULDER!" the voice came from Chouji, the chubby man now using a technique from the Akimichi clan. It was an advanced version of the Human Boulder technique. As Chouji kept rolling like a big ball, kunai were out, functioning as the spikes of his form. He quickly managed to roll over the lava steeds, thus rendering them to bits.

Both Kiba and Hinata were amazed by this, given that they had never expected Chouji to be this daring to attack enemies. Chouji continued rolling in his technique of his, hoping to take down more enemies along the way. Looking at each other, Kiba and Hinata decided to continue fighting against any foe that dared approach them.

They were not the only ones to be surprised by Chouji's bravery. His teammates Shikamaru and Ino had also watched their chubby friend take out some of their foes with his Human Boulder technique.

Shikamaru grinned smugly. "Well, guess that we won't be needing to supervise Chouji for now. He's really grown more daring since the aftermath of the world war" he remarked while watching his close friend continue rolling.

"What do you suppose the reasons are?" Ino questioned him, yet Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders in return to show that he didn't know. The blondie giggled. "Same here. But then again, maybe being in a relationship has forced Chouji to act more tough" she tried to come up with a suggestion.

Hearing this made Shikamaru slump his face a little. "Maybe there's something else, especially one that doesn't involve being in a relationship! I swear, you really are a headache when it comes to our dating relationships" the Nara expressed his opinion of Ino's thoughts.

In return, the Yamanaka clan head folded her arms. "Relax, I was only guessing" Ino corrected him, yet she could see that Shikamaru was not buying her insistence.

While they had been busy having this chat, several lava hounds had begun to sneak up to them. Lucky for the teammates, the beasts were taken out by Tenten and Shino, who were nearby to deal with them. Tenten was using her weapons and scrolls while Shino used his insects.

"Why are Shikamaru and Ino so negligent!? They have to watch their own backs! They can't expect us to do the for them!" the brunette expressed her irritation while trying to deal with any attackers that came at her and Shino.

While sharing similar opinions as Tenten did, Shino was not letting his emotions get the best of him. "I know. But if they do happen to get caught by a sneak attack, then it's all their fault. Try not to waster your energy on them, Tenten" Shino advised her. The dark brown-haired man was trying to empower the insects that dwelled within him. "This area has an enormous amount of heat. As such, my insects are likely to get burned. But as long as I have Chakra to empower and strengthen them, it won't be a problem" he noted, understanding why he had to take care of his insects in this volcano.

But among the group that were most desperate to end these minions was Tsunade, Mei, Yamato and Kakashi. They had witnessed Hiruko managing to strike down A. The Fourth Raikage was now badly injured and would soon be at his opponent's mercy. The three powerful shinobis realized that they would have to move fast in order to save A from certain death.

"Damn it! These fiends keep coming at us, thus making it difficult to reach the Raikage!" Kakashi cursed while he had dealt with lava revenants that were charging at him.

Before they could land a claw on him, Yamato stepped forward, performing some handseals in the process. "Wood Style: Cutting Springs Jutsu!" he declared and Yamato produced sharp wooden spikes from his body. He then used them as projectiles towards the lava elementals. Given how small, fast and deadly these projectiles were, they managed to end these horrific creatures. "I agree with what Kakashi says! Their numbers are limitless! And from the looks of it, the Raikage is in deep trouble!" the brown-haired man expressed his worries.

Knowing that they would only be delayed if this continued, Tsunade had decided to take drastic measures. As such, she was planning on summoning someone to the battlefield. "I know we're in a tight schedule here! But I will not let A die so easily! He still has something he needs to do! I'll summon Katsuyu and see if we can speed this up!" the Hokage declared and she was about to call forth the giant slug. But something stopped her.

Mei was slightly outraged by this. "Tsunade…...what are you waiting for!?" the Mizukage demanded an answer. But soon, she too could understand why her counterpart from the Leaf Village was feeling this way. They both faced at the top of the volcano.

But Hiruko didn't seem to care what was happening. He concentrated on the gravely injured Raikage sitting not far from his current location. The baldheaded man would not let this moment slip away from him. This was the moment he had been waiting for. As he kept walking, Hiruko cracked his knuckles and faced his defeated opponent.

"This is where it all ends, "Lord" Raikage! After almost two years of suffering starvation and any other hardships, I can bring peace to Hyakushige's ghost! And I'm not resting until you're dead!" Hiruko told his opponent.

Even as he was on the verge of defeat, A didn't even seem to be afraid. He continued to glare at Hiruko with nothing but open contempt. But as he watched Hiruko walk, the Raikage was quickly reminded about someone. It was himself! For some reason, being in this position had made him remember how he had defeated Hyakushige in combat. The very memory itself was agonizing.

"No…..no….NOT AGAIN!" the Raikage blurted out in slight distress.

Seeing his reaction was amusement to Hiruko. He never felt the need to show any remorse towards his older brother's killer. Now, it was A's turn to experience defeat.

"So you're now starting to play the victim here? Tch, some Raikage you are! This only confirms the reason why Hyakushige deserved the title more than you! You are nothing but an eyesore to me and the rest of the Cloud Village!" Hiruko spat at A, his Chakra Cloak covering all around him once again. Now, it was time to end this feud for good. "All the more reason for us to end this fight for good! This is where we say goodbye for eternity, A. Give my regards to hell, you ungrateful son of a bitch!" the baldheaded man added with his foul language.

Before Hiruko could even charge towards A, something happened that brought a halt to conflicts inside the volcano's deep end. While everyone had been busy battling their own fights, a rather large explosion had appeared on the enormous surrounding wall of rock. It caught everyone by surprise, as the area shook like it was an earthquake. The only question that was on everyone's heads was who in the right mind could have pulled something like that, let alone destroy a part of the surrounding wall of rock. At first, they assumed it was the work of Kenrojin. But a familiar voice that came through the thick smoke soon convinced everyone about who had done it.

"SO, THIS IS WHERE THE PARTY'S STARTING, EH!? AND YA DIDN'T EVEN SEND ME AN INVITATION! NOW THAT'S JUST RUDE! I LIKE EVENTS SUCH AS THESE!" the familiar voice could be heard throughout the crater.

Each of the shinobis had different reactions to who that was. But among them, Hiruko, A and Naruto seemed to know be painfully aware of who it was that had caused an explosion on the volcano itself.

Naruto was grinning with happiness. "Alright! You finally managed to make it! Way to go!" he expressed his overjoy of what he could see behind the smoke.

A was outraged and shocked at the same time. "WHAT THE HELL!? WHY ARE YOU HERE!? I THOUGHT YOU WERE BEING SENT…" the Raikage was wondering about something, yet it soon became clear to him what had happened. "Motoi.…...you stupid, unreliable nincompoop!" he muttered with anger at the Cloud ninja.

Hiruko himself immediately recognized that voice. Hearing it only filled his thoughts with more anger and resentment. His fists clenched with fury, the Sado gazing up through the smoke that couldn't hide the person from his Kaminaraigan. "You….what have you come here for!? And just as I was about to kill this bastard you call a brother!" he angrily exclaimed.

The smoke was slowly fading away, this giving everyone a perfect glimpse of who it was that had broken his way into the volcano's center. "WHATEVER YOU GUYS ARE DOING, NOBODY DOES IT WITHOUT INVITIN' ME, THE KING OF LONGHORNS TO THE PARTY! THAT'S JUST HOW IT WORKS, YO!" the voice came from the Eight-Tailed Ox, also known as Gyuki. However, the one who had spoken was Gyuki's current Jinchuuriki: Killer B. The giant beast was seen standing on the edge of the wall he had created. He even directed his attention towards the dragon hatchlings that had begun focusing their attacks on him. Still, Killer B felt no need to worry. "PRAY FOR MERCY WHILE YOU CAN, MOTHAFUCKAS! BECAUSE THIS LONGHORN'S GONNA SENF YOU ALL STRAIGHT BACK TO THE HELL YOU CAME FROM!" B declared and used the tentacle-like tails of Gyuki to attack the flying enemies.

Tsunade smiled in what she saw. "And just when things couldn't have gotten any better. Killer B's timing is perfect!" the Hokage declared and looked at Kakashi. "Now then, I think you should increase your help a little, Kakashi. Not everyone can waste time with these minions. You know what I am talking about, right?" she told the white-haired man.

Kakashi, who was in his Sharingan, transformed his crimson eyes into the Mangekyo Sharingan. But there was more to that transformation. He activated his Susanoo with those eyes. However, the Sharingan had never been his to begin with. His late friend Obito Uchiha had entrusted Kakashi with using his eyes to honor his memory. As such, Kakashi would never go back on the promise. His Susanoo was a giant creature with teal flames burning so brightly.

"I understand, Lady Tsunade! I'll do what I can! You and the Mizukage take care of these fiends while I do that!" Kakashi told Tsunade before flying towards his destination.

Meanwhile, the majority of those in the Cloud ninja regiment were surprised by the arrival of Killer B, especially Omoi and Karui.

"Master Killer B…you're here! I thought you were still back in the Land of Lightning….." Karui uttered out in disbelief.

"Tch, why are you so surprised, Karui? There was no way that Master Killer B was gonna sit this one out! We both know how stubborn he is" Omoi told her before turning his attention to where A and Hiruko were having their fight. "And more importantly…he may be very upset by the fact that the Raikage had decided to end this feud on his own. After all, he too was affected by what happened that day" the swordsman added to his statement.

Karui weakly nodded her head in reply. "Yeah…it would have to come to this…..eventually" she told him.

"Lord Killer B! How in the world did he get to this very island!?" Cee asked while feeling uncomfortable. "The seas around us were incredibly unruly! How could he have traveled through them with such ease!?" the blonde-haired man added to his question.

Darui simply but a hand on his shoulder, in order to calm his partner down. "Settle down, Cee! You're not the only one who's outraged here!" he insisted before looking up to face Killer B and the Tailed Beast he was currently controlling. "You underestimate Lord Killer B's talents. He's the Jinchuuriki of one of the most powerful beasts to have walked on this world. As such, traveling the seas is child's play for him" the shaggy-haired man added to his explanation.

Cee let out a deep sigh. "I know! Just don't say anymore words that will make me feel stupid!" he groaned in irritation.

As the new arrival of Killer B had brought hope to the united shinobis of the Leaf, Mist and Cloud, someone saw the opening on the surrounding wall as an opportunity. That was in the mind of Nagisa Sorui. The blonde-haired swordsman was focusing his attention on it, while Suigetsu was slightly distracted by B's entrance.

"I can't believe that bozo managed to cross an entire ocean to get here! Ah well, I guess being a Jinchuuriki has some benefits" Suigetsu noted before refocusing his attention on Nagisa once again. "That being said, I still got a bone to pick with you! So let's wrap this up early, Nagisa!" he told his opponent while brandishing his sword.

While listening to all this, Nagisa was forming a cunning smirk with his lips. To Suigetsu's confusion, he lifted his sword up in the air. Lightning could be seen all over the tips of the blade. However, it seemed to Suigetsu that Nagisa was not planning on stabbing him with that weapon. With all his might, the blonde-haired swordsman slammed the butt of his weapon onto the volcanic ground, causing a slight shockwave around his standpoint.

Suigetsu jumped backwards, realizing that his opponent was planning on something. He didn't like it one bit. "Alright, tough-guy! What just happened!? Why did you slam Narumi onto the ground!?" he demanded an answer out of him.

Nagisa glanced at him nonchalantly. "Once again, you are underestimating my abilities. I'm almost beginning to feel like a book without content. But since you are about to die now, I may as well let you in on a terrible truth. When you and your buddies first traveled to the Island of Tides, you probably wondered about how something so big like a tsunami could appear out in the misty seas. I can answer that for you" the blonde-haired man said while pointing his trident-like sword at the opening in the surrounding wall.

Suigetsu, still feeling suspicious over this, looked over his shoulder to see what was happening outside the volcano itself. Now that Killer B had entered the crater, the view in the opening was clear. As such, the white-haired man was given a good look of what was emerging towards the island itself. His purple eyes froze in shock.

"No…no…..no way…" Suigetsu stuttered in disbelief. He then glared at Nagisa with nothing but outrage. "HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING LIKE THIS!?" he then verbally assaulted him.

Soon, every shinobi and kunoichi inside the volcano could see what was happening by just looking through the opening in the wall. They were all stunned to see what appeared to be something humongous. It was a gigantic tsunami, coming towards the island and volcano with an incredible speed. Given that the opening itself was wide and big, it made it possible for the tsunami to infiltrate the volcano. At this rate, everything inside the volcano's bottom was about to be swallowed by water.

Both Saizo and Hiruko were angered by what their comrade was doing, as he was basically putting their match on hold with that tsunami of his.

"Tch…damn you, Nagisa! Always not mindful about your own surroundings!" Saizo cursed, as he was about to clash with Sasuke, both Uchihas having fully activated their Susanoos. But Saizo could see that Sasuke had directed more of his focus on the tsunami. As such, he had decided to return to his friends. Even so, Saizo simply smirked in what he was seeing. "This fight's not over yet! See if you can withstand this water, Sasuke! I will be awaiting above sea level!" he noted to himself, as if he was expecting the fight to continue.

But perhaps the one mostly outraged by this was Hiruko. "That little piece of shit! And I was just about to enjoy an execution here!" he snapped, only to notice A managing to stand up. Although he was really standing on his feet, the Raikage could barely hold his ground. This brought amusement to Hiruko. "But hey! I bet you're not even strong enough to last this tsunami, are you!? In that case, you're better off dying in a watery grave!" the baldheaded Sado

Nagisa simply stood there with a maddened expression running across his face. He held up Narumi so high, as if he was waiting for the wave to come right to him. The blonde-haired man laughed. "YES! COME TO ME, ENDLESS TIDES! YOUR MASTER COMMANDS IT!" he loudly exclaimed while watching the wave. Nagisa proceeded to try and control the wave with his weapon. This alone confirmed the fact that Nagisa was indeed a powerful shinobi. "TSUNAMI NO SUIJIN!" he then called out the supposed name of his technique of his.

Without delay, the giant wave forced itself through the opening on the surrounding wall, quickly beginning to fill the place of lava and heat with an incredible amount of water.

"Lady Mei! The tsunami has forced itself into the volcano!" Chojuro expressed his shock in what he was seeing. The four-eyed swordsman then turned his attention to Nagisa and his weapon. "It's just as we thought…Nagisa Sorui has mastered the ability his ancestors!" he added.

"It's impossible! How can this wave alone possess so much water!?" Hyozan demanded.

"It's no use trying to run away now! We will have to come up with tactic for survival!" Shachi told the two Mist ninjas, who were outraged by hearing his suggestion.

"Shachi is right!" the voice came from Mei, the Fifth Mizukage focusing her attention on the tsunami that had forced itself into the volcano's crater. "We will make our stand here! All of us! Let's forget everyone we have in this group!" she reminded her subordinates.

"YES MA'AM!" they all said in unison and were prepared for what was about to happen in this hellish landscape.

Mei turned her azure eyes to Nagisa, the attractive brunette expressing her worries about the power his possessed. "I can see how Nagisa was able to master this technique that is forbidden to learn for most Mist ninjas. His time in the Underworld may have given him the opportunity to practice it" the Mizukage noted, observing in how the blonde-haired swordsman was controlling the giant wave. "There is only one person who was ever capable of using Tsunami no Suijin, as well as controlling the seas. The First Mizukage: Byakuren Sorui" Mei recalled to what she knew about her predecessors as the Mist Village's strongest ninja.

Meanwhile, Tsunade was gathering her fellow Leaf ninjas to her side, including Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto. She faced the two with a determined expression.

"Naruto, Sasuke! Go and assist Kakashi and Killer B with trying to stop that wave! If water keeps entering this place through that crack, it will end up sinking the entire island beneath the sea!" Tsunade told them while facing deadly rogue wave heading towards them. "I will summon Katsuyu in hopes of ensuring that rescue is guaranteed. But we will need more assistance. Can we count on you two?" the Hokage asked them.

Naruto nodded his head with a smile. "Certainly! Don't forget, I've got both Kurama and Gamakichi to back it up! But I think Gamakichi is the one most suited to help those who need something to stand on" he answered, only to look at the direction Killer B was heading towards. "But I can see that the Fourth Raikage is in no condition to take care of himself anymore. Therefore, I'll leave B to rescue him from the tsunami" he then noted.

"I have Aoda at my disposal. His help will be sufficient to rescue most of the shinobis" Sasuke told Tsunade what he had to offer in hopes of assisting the rescuing of all these shinobis.

Tsunade was satisfied with what she was hearing. "Excellent! Then we know what must be done! Now, go and see if you can aid Kakashi and B with preventing this place from getting filled! I will assist Mei with holding the line against this…..wave" she told them and the two friends didn't hesitate to go at the incoming wave.

Sakura was slightly worried about what was to come. "Lady Tsunade. Can we survive this tsunami?" she asked her teacher.

In listening to this, Tsunade couldn't help but to giggle at what her protégé as the Slug Queen said. "It's not about whether we can or not, Sakura. It's the fact that we WILL survive! That I vow as the Hokage" she answered Sakura plainly.

Knowing better than to doubt her mentor's wisdom, Sakura firmly nodded her head as a yes. "Right! I'm ready!" the pinkette replied.

Tsunade looked over her shoulders. "EVERYONE, HOLD ON TIGHT! THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL ALL BE PUT TO YOUR LIVES' TESTS! NO MATTER HOW BIG AND STRONG THIS TSUNAMI IS, WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER! BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A NINJA!" she informed every shinobi, from the Leaf, Mist and Cloud.

To her amusement, they all cheered for her in return, almost as if it was a rallying cry. But the as brave as they were, the tsunami managed to engulf the entire area, them included. Holding their breaths, every shinobi and kunoichi were prepared to be swallowed by the water, which came from the sea, of course.

When the wave had begun overflowing the place with water, it had completely blended in with the lava, creating large amounts of steam from the volcano. Soon, what was once a desolate landscape was now filled with water and steam that bubbled from it to the fiery skies above. The water continued streaming into the area thanks to the crack on the volcano's wall. In time, the island itself was slowly sinking, thanks to enormous amount of water that kept gathering inside the volcano's core.

Was Kenrojin taking notice of this at all? Indeed. While the water had consumed every cave on the island, it still didn't drown the gigantic dragon to death. He was only resting with some of his other precious eggs, even as water completely engulfed them. However, while Kenrojin didn't die, the water did in fact manage to awaken him from his rest. The dragon's hellish eyes opened, glowing in the darkness of the water-filled caverns. A deep laughter could be heard from Kenrojin, and it didn't sound good.

"THE HOUR OF RECKONING IS AT HAND…SOON…...ALL THAT WILL EXIST IS DEATH ITSELF!" the dragon spoke up, still having no trouble being under water.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Authors' note: A fine chapter, indeed. I've wanted both Hiruko and Nagisa to have their hour of victory (with Hiruko being able to defeat A and Nagisa being able to use his true powers). What I wanted to show you here is what Saizo really wants. Not only is he motivated by revenge. He seeks to destroy all creation entirely. That is why he didn't join hands with Toneri. Yes, A might be a powerful shinobi and all, but I wanted him to feel getting himself owned by picking fights unwisely. And he pretty much deserved the ass-whopping. If some of you felt that A was portrayed as too weak, then I will accept any criticsm. Given that Nagisa is inspired by Aquaman from the DC Universe, I wanted to have a ninja who was more related to the seas. And yes, I also decided to make the First Mizukage Byakuren a member of the Sorui clan, so that Nagisa could have something to be boastful about. And don't worry, the tsunami won't be the end of Naruto and his friends. They will have to continue battling these three members of the Dragon Creed. But on the other hand, I might start to include Kenrojin into this fight. And in the fights against them, there will be more than just one. I will not spoil who will fight whom, but it will be exciting to read. Again, I thank you readers for checking out on this story. You are the reason for why I write on this story. See you around!**


	34. Terror of the Tides

**Author's note: This chapter will probably bring back Kenrojin into the story. But first, let's see how Naruto and his friends are doing. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 34: Terror of the Tides**

 _Inside the overflooded volcano, the Island of Tides_

Once a tsunami had forced itself into the volcano's core, it had become a giant pool of water, thanks to the efforts of Nagisa Sorui. Now, the Island of Tides was almost half-sunken. Only the upper reaches of the volcano and the crimson ring above it remained intact. Even so, the island had once again experienced dramatic changes, this time not due to the work of Kenrojin. Steam could still be seen heading up the fiery skies, most likely due to lava beneath the seafloor. After all, Nagisa had the power to actually raise the sea level.

And while the volcano's core was overflooded, it was still possible to stand on the cliffs at the surrounding wall. Right now, Nagisa was standing there, having just activated a jutsu while surveying what he had done to the volcano's core. He was in a good mood, since he had unleashed the Tsunami no Suijin Jutsu upon the combined army of Leaf, Mist and Cloud shinobis. Nagisa even let out a laugh that sounded like that of a lunatic.

"NOW THIS IS A SIGHT TO BEHOLD! LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DEFY THE KING OF THE SEAS!" Nagisa loudly exclaimed, feeling very confident to have triumphed over his enemies with this incredible jutsu of his.

But while he was satisfied, the same couldn't be said for his comrades: Saizo Uchiha and Hiruko Sado. But it was Hiruko who was the one most angered at the blonde-haired swordsman. They had managed to escape getting caught by the wave, given that they had quickly come to Nagisa's side. Together, they had made their way up to the highest cliffs of the volcano. Now, they would demonstrate their dissatisfaction towards Nagisa.

"YOU PUNK-ASS SON OF A BITCH! WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE TO INTERRUPT MY FIGHT!?" Hiruko snapped at Nagisa, his yellow eyes meeting the swordsman's orange ones. "I WAS THIS CLOSE TO KILLING THE RAIKAGE'S ASS, BUT YOU JUST HAD TO USE THAT DAMN TSUNAMI AND RUIN EVERYTHING!" the black-skinned man continued verbally assaulting him.

Despite seeing the anger, Nagisa scoffed at Hiruko's lashing. "Oh, shut up, Hiruko! I also needed my moment of triumph, not just you!" Nagisa retorted, thus escalating things with Hiruko.

"But I told you many goddamn times that I was gonna kill A! What part of that didn't you understand!?" Hiruko demanded, even starting to activate his Chakra Cloak. Now he was really ticked off.

Nagisa simply smirked. "You can't be serious! You're challenging me with that lame power-up of yours?" the blonde-haired man questioned him while pointing Narumi at his comrade. "Quit embarrassing yourself! We both know that you could never hope to defeat me! You've never been to the Underworld before! That should be more than enough for you to reconsider!" he then taunted him, hoping to get under Hiruko's skin.

Hearing this angered Hiruko, his powerful fists clenching tightly. "Wanna bet!? Try talking shit to me when I've cracked both that pitchfork and your skull!" Hiruko said, feeling more than tempted to beat out Nagisa for his arrogance.

In response, Nagisa tightened his grip on his sword, with electricity sparking around its blade. A spiral of water formed around him. "How about you try trash-talking Narumi once I've gutted you instead!?" he replied back with anger. As furious as Nagisa was, Hiruko still refused to back out.

Before either of them could make the first move, Saizo stepped in between them. As such, both Nagisa and Hiruko ceased their attacks. They could see that their raven-haired comrade was facing the water beneath them, as if he was seeing something. This made them do the same thing, suspecting that Saizo was onto something.

"If you two didn't know any better, we still have enemies on our tails" Saizo lowly berated his comrades, his gaze still fixated upon the sea. His crimson eyes narrowed further. "There! I see them!" he said while pointing a finger at the direction he was facing at.

To the trio's surprise, three giant animals suddenly busted up from the seafloor. They were not animals of the sea. Oh no, it was a giant slug, a giant toad and a giant snake floating on the water. However, these weren't just any ordinary animals. The white slug with the blue stripes at her sides was the personal summon of Tsunade and Sakura Haruno: Katsuyu. The fiery orange toad that held a katana was the personal summon of Naruto Uzumaki: Gamakichi. And last but not least, the giant blue snake with green eyes that was the personal summon of Sasuke Uchiha: Aoda.

What was also noticeable was that each of these enormous creatures carried survivors on their heads. Apparently, Katsuyu, Aoda and Gamakichi had all been summoned before the tsunami hit them. While under water, they had all rescued the shinobis and kunoichis from drowning. And given how big they were, these animals could easily float on the water by using Chakra. But there was more to the story. There were many refugees upon the three, which could only mean that they had been summoned to not only help the shinobis, but them as well. It would seem that Sai and Asami had succeeded in finding out the survivors of the vicious human trafficking business that previously existed on the island.

The majority of the refugees were on Katsuyu's back. Given her extraordinary healing abilities, the white slug could create billions of smaller clones of herself in order to treat their injuries. Tsunade was assuring their safety, alongside Sai, Asami, Hyozan and Karin.

"Are you sure these were the only people you could find?" Tsunade asked both Sai and Asami, the two ANBUs nodding their heads as a yes.

"Affirmative. They may not be everyone…..but we took what we could find. I can't imagine the fate that befell on the other victims of this atrocity" Asami spoke up, slightly getting emotional as she was thinking about those who were dead. To her surprise, Sai put a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her reassuringly.

"Don't mourn their loss just yet, Asami. We will make sure that their deaths won't be in vain. After all, they need someone to help them gain justice" Sai informed her, causing Asami to smile weakly at him.

"Look up there at the cliffside! I can see those three terrorists" Hyozan called out to them while pointing his finger at the cliff. The grey-haired swordsman had his eyes specifically fixated upon Nagisa.

Tsunade eyed where Hyozan pointed his finger at. "Yes. I can see them clearly" she replied firmly.

On Aoda, the ones standing upon the giant snake's head were Yugao, Shachi, Chojuro and the regiment from the Cloud Village, including the Fourth Raikage A. He had slowly but steadily recovered from his defeat at Hiurko's hands. Still, his eyes were facing the baldheaded Sado standing on the cliffside. So many thoughts were swirling inside his head that he couldn't know what else to say.

"Hiruko…" he muttered, only to cough and forced down to one knee.

"Lord Raikage!" Cee, Darui, Samui and other important members of the regiment came to his side in order to watch. Cee was the one who was the most concerned. "Please! You need to rest. In the shape you're in, you have no chance against Hiurko!" the blonde-haired man pleaded to him.

Still, A refused to yield. Defying the pain, he stood up on his feet and took some steps forwards in order to get a better picture of his enemy. Even though his eyes narrowed, small tints of tears were running across his cheeks. Right now, the Raikage's mind was drifting back to the past.

"Lord Raikage…" Darui had taken notice of the tears of his superior. He was about to go and see if he was alright, only to be stared at by Samui. The blonde-haired woman shook her head as a no, convincing him to not disturb the Raikage in his trance. Reluctantly, Darui agreed.

But they weren't the only ones who were fixated upon the three terrorists. Chojuro was still in awe of what he had experienced. The four-eyed swordsman felt his entire body sweat intensively.

"I just can't believe it…...he almost succeeded in bringing this island beneath the sea!" he exclaimed, feat starting to take hold upon him. "This only goes to show how powerful he has become since his resurrection or whatever it was that brought him back to life!" Chojuro added.

"The only question is who it was that brought him back" Shachi responded, the man with the metallic mask observing Nagisa by the cliffside. "I have served the ANBU Black Ops of the Mist Village for many years, but there is not a single trace that points to Nagisa being involved with the Akatsuki. No, something else must have transpired. One that even we failed to notice" he added, he too also having some uneasy feelings about Nagisa.

On Gamakichi stood the majority of Naruto and Sasuke's friends, including Sakura. The pinkette had briefly noticed her mentor taking good care of the refugees and that satisfied her. Still, Sakura knew that the battle was far from over.

"Well, it would seem that the Hokage has the refugees in a safe place for now" Yamato commented before returning his gaze upon the cliffside. His mouth frowned deeply. "However, we narrowly managed to survive that tsunami of his…I've never in my life witnessed such a powerful water based jutsu" he added.

"Yeah. If id hadn't been for you, Naruto and Sasuke coming up with his idea, we would've all probably ended up in watery graves. Thank goodness that you guys were quick to use your summons, Sakura" Lee commended Sakura for her idea.

She had to smile by hearing this. "Of course. It was the wisest thing to do not just for us…...but also for these refugees as well" Sakura replied, yet her mouth quickly reverted back into a frown. "But I can't help but to wonder what kind of plan is Naruto, Sasuke and the others thinking about" the pinkette added.

"Well, we could've stopped them from doing that if it hadn't been for that damn wave" Shikamaru spoke up, puffing out some smoke from his mouth. "But you know those guys better than us, Sakura. Stubborn as hell" he added with a slight groan.

"Yeah, tell me about it" Kiba joined in on the conversation.

Hinata couldn't help but to giggle in what she heard him say. "But Kiba, how are you any different from Naruto or Sasuke? You're just as stubborn as them" she pointed out.

Hearing this made Kiba snap in slight embarrassment. He could see that not only Hinata, but his friends and even Akamaru, was having fun in this. "What? Hold up. I'll admit that I can be angry and mouthy sometimes, but that doesn't mean I'm in any way similar to those two bozos. Nope! Not a chance. Hell to the no" the young Inuzuka exclaimed, trying to not let his girlfriend overpower him.

Ino put her arms on her hips when seeing this. "Well, your attitude says otherwise" she told him, causing Kiba to mutter lowly to himself in return.

Juugo took some steps forward in order to get a good look at the three terrorists standing on the cliffside. However, he was also looking around the sea they were on. Shino could take notice of him doing that and wondered why.

"Is there something on your mind?" Shino silently questioned him.

Juugo nodded his head weakly. "Something's not right here. Given that the tsunami almost managed to swallow the entire island, I find it hard to believe that Kenrojin would not take notice of it. Why hasn't he responded so far?" the orange-haired man wondered while observing the volcanic ring they found themselves in.

"Now that you mention it, it does seem kind of odd that he's not shown himself" Sakura admitted, having similar thoughts like those of Juugo's. "It couldn't have drowned to death, could it?" she then asked those around him.

"I doubt that, Sakura" Yamato responded. He was glancing up towards the skies of fire and it only made the atmosphere direr. "You saw what he did on the Moon. If he wanted to, he could've destroyed all of us with his island. No, that thing is still alive. But where he is…we don't know" the brown-haired man added to his concerns.

The view of seeing survivors of his attack only enraged Nagisa, who had not been expecting this to happen. The swordsman filled with rage when he saw many survivors on each animal. "What the hell…no…this can't be happening…" he muttered lowly, yet Nagisa soon unleashed her true anger. "MOTHERFUCKER! THESE DAMN ANIMALS MANAGED TO RESCUE THEM FROM GETTING DROWNED!" Nagisa cursed, even kicking a rock off the cliffside.

Hiruko had to secretly snicker in seeing this reaction, as he enjoyed Nagisa's humiliation. Nevertheless, he too was stunned by the appearance of these animals, as well as the fact that their enemies survived. "Woah….it looks like these guys are tougher than we originally thought. And what about those giant animals? What's a toad, a snake and a slug doing in the middle of the sea?" he wondered, yet Hiruko managed to realize as he got a close glimpse of the three gigantic creatures. "Hold on just a damn minute. These ain't normal beasts! They're all summons!" he exclaimed.

"You are correct, Hiruko. They are indeed summons" Saizo stated, agreeing with that his partner said. "Obviously, the shinobis must have summoned them right before the tsunami engulfed the crater. But from what I can also see here, is that they are being used as platforms by the survivors" he added to his observation.

Hiruko could see that as well and he whistled in amazement. "No kidding. I thought they were all dead or something. But wow, these things sure are interesting summons. No doubt about it" the black-skinned man had to comment on what Saizo had just said.

Even after hearing this talk, Nagisa was still fuming with rage. "SUMMONS!? MY POWERFUL JUTSU MASTERED BY MY ANCESTORS COULDN'T EVEN DROWN THREE DAMN SUMMONS!?" he felt insulted by what he heard Saizo say. However, the swordsman calmed himself, once again holding onto Narumi. Surprisingly, he even grinned, albeit in a psychotic manner. "Oh, I'll show them what I can summon. So many beasts to chose from. The shark! The orca! The octopus! The sea serpent! I'll let them chew on their bones!" Nagisa was slowly getting himself into madness. This was probably due to the fact that his Tsunami no Suijin didn't kill everyone as he had wanted. As such, he still had twisted ways he could do with his enemies.

Hiruko sighed in irritation by seeing his comrade behaving this way. "Don't worry, you'll get to feast on their corpses soon enough. You're lucky that I still have good anger management. Otherwise, I'd ended you with only one punch" he added with seriousness in his voice. But from the looks of it, Nagisa didn't pay much heed to his threats, something that Hiruko could see plainly.

"Hold it!" Saizo suddenly snapped as he had observed the survivors on the three giant beasts. "I see there are some people missing! Where the hell is Sasuke!? As well as that idiot Jinchuuriki-friend of his! I don't see them on any of these animals!" the raven-haired man added with his venomous voice.

Nagisa and Hiruko could also notice the same thing, and they realized that some people THEY knew were also gone. Things got suspicious for them. But things soon got out of hand once a large burst of water emerged right in front of their standpoint. The trio were caught off guard and saw what had emerged out of it.

"WOAH! WHAT JUST HAPPANED!?" Hiruko demanded as he and his comrades looked up to see who it was.

"The fuck is going on here…" Saizo cursed lowly. But he slowly got hang of what it was. "NO! IT'S AN AMBUSH!" he angrily told his partners-in-crime.

What they saw was none other than the Nine-Tailed Fox itself. Kurama was up in the air, his Chakra on full display for them to see. But to their surprise, the giant beast with Chakra soon disintegrated and out from him emerged around 6 people. Who were they? They all dived towards the cliffside the trio was standing on. It didn't take long to figure it out who each of these individuals were. It was Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, Killer B, Mei Terumi and Suigetsu Hozuki. They all landed behind the trio. Apparently, they had all been accompanying Naruto, given that he was still in his Tailed Beast Chakra Mode.

"Damn…...they managed to fool us!" Nagisa cursed, as he faced the Fifth Mizukage and the Mist swordsman standing there. "And I guess I've got two pains in my asses to deal with!" the blonde-haired man expressed his irritation.

Hiruko was having similar thoughts. Even now, he began facing Killer B, his eyes narrowing with resentment. "Killer B…" he uttered out the name of his childhood friend.

Despite the treatment, B was also giving Hiruko the same reaction. "You've gone too far, bro. Way too far" the Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tailed Ox told the Sado.

Naruto stepped forward alongside Kakashi and Sasuke. "This has to end! You will all face judgement right here, right now! There's no escape from now on!" the blonde-haired man exclaimed while facing the trio with crimson eyes of determination. From the look on his face, Naruto was being serious.

Kakashi had activated his Sharingan, and was even preparing his own version of the Chidori called the Lightning Blade. "You're all out of options. Surrender or face death without mercy" he advised them, yet he was also threatening them at the same time.

Soon, the rest of the group began taking steps towards the trio. Even so, Saizo, Nagisa and Hiruko were not giving up. Activating their powers, they each prepared to clash with the group. But they would have to chose who to fight with. Without delay, they started clashing. They each then got separated from each other. Now, the brawl was continuing, this time on the cliffside.

Saizo was contending with both Naruto and Sasuke. He drew his blade and faced his opponents with killing intent. He could see that Naruto and Sasuke were activating their full powers. Still, Saizo smirked at them as if he didn't take their challenge seriously.

"So you think you'll defeat me with that Jinchuuriki's help, Sasuke? You choose your friends poorly!" Saizo berated his cousin before swinging his sword to create a ring of black flames.

While Naruto felt enraged in hearing this, it was Sasuke who became consumed by anger the most. He firmed the hold on his blade while gritting his teeth in rage. "Just cut the shit, Saizo…." Sasuke said lowly, only to charge straight towards Saizo with all his speed. He even managed to avoid getting caught by the black ring of fire. "DON'T INSULT THE ONLY FRIEND THAT HAS UNDERSTOOD ME!" he yelled out in anger, ready to clash swords with his cousin.

Saizo caught wind of it and readied his blade. But he could see that Naruto was also on the move to attack him from above. Figuring out their tactic, Saizo jumped up in the air in order to stab Naruto in his chest. He succeeded.

"Hah! A foolish move on your part, Jinchuuriki!" Saizo mocked him, only to discover that what he thought was Naruto only was a Shadow Clone as it vanished from his blade. "WHAT!? A SHADOW CLONE! HOW IS THIS…" Saizo was interrupted by an attack on his head from behind.

It was the real Naruto, who had delivered his self-invented Uzumaki Barrage upon Saizo. "You can stop calling me Jinchuuriki! The name's Naruto Uzumaki! Get it straight, gutless bastard!" he yelled at him as Saizo was sent falling towards the ground.

Saizo could see that Sasuke was beneath him, trying to empower his blade with both lightning and black flames. It was obvious that Sasuke was planning on impaling Saizo. He even jumped and moved so that his sword was similar to a spear waiting to pierce its target.

"It's over, Saizo!" Sasuke told him while thrusting his sword at Saizo. In response to this, Saizo drew out his blade and was ready to clash with his cousin once again.

"Not a chance in hell!" Saizo hit back and they both clashed swords, each Uchiha trying to overpower the other. "Don't think for a second that you can best me, Sasuke! You are still a step slow!" the raven-haired man tried to talk down Sasuke.

Still, Sasuke didn't give in to his words. "Speak for yourself!" Sasuke snapped and with all his might managed to overpower Saizo and send him flying to the air. But Sasuke was not finished with his opponent and jumped up in the air. "Your words won't sway me, anymore! That I can promise you!" Sasuke added to his declaration.

While Saizo had been focused on Sasuke, he had failed to notice the fact that Naruto was preparing an attack upon him from behind. The blonde-haired man had done so quickly, and Saizo was too slow to react. Naruto was preparing a Rasengan, except for the fact that it was more powerful. It was one that he had made with the power of the Sage of the Six Paths. Without delay, Naruto delivered it upon his opponent's back.

"Here's a go away present for you! SAGE ART: MAGNET STYLE RASENGAN!" Naruto yelled and Saizo was sent flying back towards Sasuke. Saizo felt blood sprout out of his mouth. "That was for all the human lives you helped take away! Being cruel yourself won't make you any different!" the man with the powerful Chakra told his opponent, watching as Saizo was being sent away diving towards the ground.

"FUCK! WHY AM I BEING TOSSED AWAY SO EASILY!?" Saizo wondered in his head. But he stopped once he could feel something happen inside his body. Looking down, he could see that Sasuke was unleashing an attack upon him. Sasuke had used Chidori Spear upon him. It was piercing through Saizo's chest. "NOOOOO! THIS ISN'T…...HAPPENING!" he added to his thoughts, still feeling powerless to withstand the attack.

But Sasuke had the ability to manipulate the blade inside Saizo. As such, he had created multiple additional blades within Saizo. The raven-haired man felt his entire body getting impaled by the attacks. It was like a sting in his heart.

Sasuke faced up, his crimson eyes of seriousness shedding a slight tear as he did that. In the past, Sasuke had used the Chidori Spear to kill his enemies. But this time, he was using it on someone he never thought he would. Even this scene reminded him about the time he had used it upon Itachi. These memories slightly haunted Sasuke's mind.

"I'm sorry, Saizo…...but this is the only way to end this madness…hopefully it makes it easier to forgive myself..." Sasuke muttered out lowly while doing this.

Naruto landed beside Sasuke and walked up to his best friend to see if he was alright. "Sasuke…...I know that it's hard for you to do this, but I hope you realize how important…." before Naruto could continue, both he and Sasuke could hear what appeared to be laughter. Looking up, they realized that it came from Saizo. Their eyes widened in disbelief. "No way…...how did he…." Naruto couldn't believe in what he was seeing.

Saizo faced down at his opponents with a cunning grin. "Insignificant fools…...you thought this was going to kill me!?" he loudly asked before he did the unthinkable by sending black flames on Sasuke's Chidori Spear. He was planning on taking out his cousin, only for Sasuke to quickly get rid of the spear of lightning before the black flames could reach him. Saizo landed on his feet, glaring at his enemies sadistically. "You are both idiots to think that I can die from such things! I'm already dead! How many times must I say that!?" he added, mocking the two friends and their assumptions of him.

Naruto and Sasuke faced him with distress, realizing how deadly Saizo was. "He managed to withstand my Rasengan as well as your Chidori Spear!? What kind of monster is he!?" Naruto asked his comrade, who did not answer. He was too distracted by the fact that Saizo was had managed to withstand two powerful attacks.

"That I would like to find out myself. But I assume this must be related to the time he spent in the Underworld, or whatever the hell that place is!" Sasuke replied. But he and his close friend were interrupted by what Saizo was doing. From the looks of it, this seemed troubling. "He's getting closer to unleash that depraved power of his again!" Sasuke then told Naruto, who seemed to understand what he was trying to say.

"I see. You mean that Susanoo of his. I agree with you that this is getting uglier" Naruto noted, turning his attention to Saizo.

The Uchiha was now gathering black flames all around him, facing Naruto and Sasuke with his reptile-like Mangekyo Sharingan. It was apparent that he was planning in activating his Susanoo once again. His giant dragon-like figure was taking shape and he was challenging the two friends to come at him.

"Come at me, you sons of bitches! If you are so determined to end me, then unleash your powers to full capacity and face me in combat! But I warn you, I will incinerate your bodies and bones in black flames!" Saizo taunted his fighters, once again giving in to his arrogance.

Sasuke and Naruto, realizing that Saizo meant business, decided to oblige and activated their most powerful forms. If this is what Saizo desperately wanted, they would give him that. But they both wondered whether he actually had the confidence to believe he could defeat them, or he was just plain insane. Either way, they knew that Saizo had to be stopped.

Taking this fight to the ground, both Naruto and Sasuke were battling Saizo in their respective powerful forms. They had not taken to the skies, yet the battle was taking its toll on the environment. But when Saizo was pushed back by the combined attacks of both Naruto and Sasuke, he knew just what to use in order to keep them apart from one another.

Using his skills, Saizo's Susanoo jumped up in the air and floated by using the creature's wings. However, he was preparing an attack with his shining eyes. His opponents knew what it was and decided to get away before he could unleash them.

"INFERNO STYLE: DEMON HEAT RAY!" Saizo yelled and he fired what appeared to be lasers from his eyes. Naruto and Sasuke each dashed sideways in order to avoid getting hit. But the lasers managed to hit the cliff's rocky wall and they managed to cut it. Still, Saizo was not satisfied by what he was seeing. "YOU CAN'T AVOID MY ATTACKS FOREVER!" he cried out and tried to shift his focus on Sasuke, who was flying up towards him.

As such, the two gigantic creatures clashed with their hands. It caused quite a shockwave in the air and winds blew into different directions. But Sasuke, was thinking about an important thing as he was battling to keep Saizo from destroying him and his friends.

"I know what I must do! But as powerful as Saizo has become…..I can't use that arrow on him…..no…that arrow Kukurihime gave us…the Senshi no Hikari…must be used upon Kenrojin…..not Saizo!" Sasuke thought. He had been the one possessing the celestial arrow since their return from the Moon, something called the Hikari no Senshi. It had been given to him and his friends by the Mother Wisp as a token of gratitude. She, the wisps and Toneri Otsutsuki had all sacrificed themselves to save the Moon from destruction. Sasuke was having a feeling that something similar was about to happen on the Earth. But who could carry on such a risky move? And would this sacrifice be similar to the one he had witnessed on the Moon. Sasuke doubted it. But another part of him was secretly wishing for Saizo to look past his hunger for destruction. "I may not know what kind of dark hole you have found yourself in, Saizo. But I sure as hell won't let you destroy everything that Itachi worked to protect! I swear to it!" the raven-haired man exclaimed.

His Susanoo began swinging his sword, only for Saizo's to do the same in response. Their weapons clashed and each were trying to overpower the other. Meanwhile, Naruto was standing by the cliffside with Kurama. He too was thinking about the Senshi no Hikari that Sasuke was carrying.

"Whatever we may face here, save that arrow for Kenrojin, Sasuke. That's all I ask of you. We did agree on that after all" Naruto thought, remembering what they had planned out on the boat trip to the Island of Tides. It was there that Naruto and Sasuke had agreed to use the Senshi no Hikari on the destructive dragon. But right now, Naruto felt that his best friend needed him the most. "Alright, Kurama! Let's go and give Sasuke the best support we can offer! We'll show him how he's foolish to turn us down!" Naruto told the tailed beast living inside of him.

Kurama couldn't help but to chuckle as he heard his partner say that. "You don't have to tell me twice, Naruto. I'm already on it!" the Nine-Tailed Fox replied back. The first thing he and Naruto did was to avoid a slash of black flames that had been sent by Saizo. At first, he had swung it in order to injure Sasuke, but when he avoided it, the ring of fire had continued towards Naruto's location. Still, Naruto and his partner were too fast to be hit.

Meanwhile, Hiruko was having his hands full with Kakashi and Killer B. In seeing Kakashi charge towards him with his Lightning Blade, Hiruko activated his golden Chakra Cloak, as well as his Kaminaraigan. Looking over his shoulder, he could see B preparing an attack on his own. Instead of having called Gyuki to his side, B was now using his Chakra, converting it into a humanoid shape with eight tails. Despite seeing this, Hiruko only smirked.

"So, you won't go easy on me? Perfect, just as I was hoping for!" Hiruko said and noticed Kakashi heading towards him. Hiruko knew what they were planning and only smirked. "I see what you're planning! You wanna attack me from both sides!? Come at me then! I'll show you how I deal with jackasses who thinks they are hotshots!" the baldheaded man dared his opponents.

Kakashi, while stunned in hearing this, knew better than to keep his opponent waiting. "He's remarkably obnoxious. But what does it matter? He will get what he deserves" the masked man said and looked past his target to see B. "This is it, Killer B! We take him out now!" Kakashi called out to him.

B seemed to have gotten everything clear, as he was preparing to deliver a Lariat at Hiruko from behind. He also seemed to have things rushed, something Hiruko was painfully aware of. Still, he knew what they were after.

A large clash occurred when Kakashi and B launched their attacks upon their target. Most people would believe that Hiruko would've been dead by two powerful attacks directed towards him. But his opponents would be given the shocker, when they saw Hiruko standing sideways. Not only that, he was also holding each of their wrists. As such, he had prevented their attacks from hitting him.

B, who's form quickly reverted back to that of normal Chakra, was in disbelief. "No freaking way! How in the hell is this even possible, damn it!?" the rapper/poet exclaimed.

"He managed to prevent our attacks with such ease!" Kakashi's mind was filled with so many thoughts. But he managed to get a glimpse of the fact that his opponent's eyes were closed. "Wait a minute…...how is he able to do this with his eyes shut!? Is there something about the Kaminaraigan that I have yet to understand!?" Kakashi added, baffled at the fact his opponent was doing this with no open eyes.

Amidst this, Hiruko found himself grinning smugly. He may didn't have his eyes opened, but his ears functioned well. "Heh! This was too easy!" he mocked his opponents, before opening his eyes to face B. "And I see that your technique hasn't changed one bit, B. If only you didn't have that smartass-attitude of yours, you would've actually done something right!" Hiruko said as he suddenly created what appeared to be a forcefield with his Chakra Cloak. It burst like a bubble, forcing Kakashi and B to back off from this unexpected attack.

Given how quick they were, neither of them was caught by Hiruko's attack. But that didn't mean they had given up on fighting the Sado. Even so, Killer B had to admit that he was slightly impressed by what his former childhood friend had done just now.

But Hiruko already had his hands full, given that Kakashi was onto him. The white-haired man still possessed enough strength and determination to take on the Sado. But Hiruko was amused at Kakashi's challenge.

"Well then, chameleon! Do you suppose you can copy my moves!?" Hiruko tauntingly asked Kakashi, even calling him a chameleon.

Kakashi's crimson eyes narrowed further. "Copying ninjutsu is easy. But given that you rely more on taijutsu, it's a little more complicated" he said and drew out a kunai to hold onto. "But even so, I won't rely on such cheap tricks to best you. I know what I'm good at!" the masked man said, before resorting to speed in order to confuse his opponent.

Hiruko had to admit he was stunned to what he was seeing. And before he knew it, he could feel a kunai held by its throat. He was shocked to see how fast Kakashi really was.

"Such speed…why was my Kaminaraigan slow to catch him!?" Hiruko wondered, only to feel Kakashi pull him around his neck.

"You're not moving an inch, let alone releasing a force field! Otherwise, you'll be dead before you even know it" Kakashi threatened his supposed captive. The kunai in his hand became empowered with his Chakra.

Hiruko felt himself slightly embarrassed over being at Kakashi's mercy. Still, he knew just the right way to free himself. When he began moving his body, Kakashi responded by trying to slice Hiruko's throat. But Hiruko was not trying to use force field or anything. Rather, he grabbed Kakashi's hand, trying to get in control of his kunai. Still, Kakashi refused to let go, which made Hiruko respond by grabbing the masked man's hand with both hands before bending over to slam him onto the ground. Hiruko then began preparing for his attack, empowering his fist with lightning.

"THUNDER HAMMER!" Hiruko yelled, preparing to deliver it onto Kakashi.

The bodyslam was hard, but Kakashi managed to move quickly before Hiruko could land him a blow. As such, he hit the ground, creating a deep hole. Kakashi grunted as he got on his feet.

"Damn…he almost had me there. He really goaded me into moving my kunai…...very sneaky of him, I must say" Kakashi admitted, trying to catch his breath.

But Kakashi was in for a surprise as Hiruko charged directly towards him. It was apparent that Hiruko wanted to finish off Kakashi quickly. "Now you're dead, Kakashi Hatake!" he shouted and was about to land an attack upon Kakashi, only to realize that he was no longer there. Hiruko landed upon the ground with his knees, cursing as he realized that Kakashi was not there. Where did he go? It didn't take long before Hiruko realized that Kakashi was behind his standpoint, standing beside Killer B. "Screw that scarecrow! How the hell did he get there!?" he angrily wondered.

Unbeknownst to Hiruko, Kakashi had used Kamui to teleport himself away from his previous location. This had been done thanks to his Mangekyo Sharingan. Ever since the aftermath of the world war, Kakashi had been able to master his Kamui. As such, he would put it in good use, as he had promised Obito Uchiha, his deceased friend.

"Yo Kakashi! What's cracking?" Killer B asked the jounin.

"I'm fine. Trust me" Kakashi replied, his eyes returning focus on Hiruko. "I had never expected Hiruko Sado to be so strong" he then remarked.

B weakly nodded his head as a yes. "Right. And you can bet your ass that he's surpassed his older bro. He really gave A the time of his life. If only we could know more about what kind of training he went through in order to become this strong" he said to Kakashi.

But the two powerful shinobis took notice of Hiruko taking steps towards them. When he was not far from their standpoint, the baldheaded man stood still, his bright eyes never leaving.

Breaking the silence, B decided to speak to his former friend. "Hey Hiruko…back then, you managed to prevent two attackers from getting at ya….." B spoke up, starting to recall some memories he had with him. "It's funny, cause before that, you always got your ass handed to you by me and A. Every time we used out combo move, you always failed to protect yourself" he added to his slight admiration of Hiruko.

Kakashi was slightly confused to hear this. "Just what in the world is he talking about?" he wondered while glancing at B.

But Hiruko turned his attention specifically towards B, crossing his arms in dispassion. He unexpectedly shut his eyes, in an attempt to reflect on what B was talking about. "That was a long time ago…...back when I always lived under Hyakushige's shadow. But now, things have changed" the baldheaded man said, his bright eyes opening quickly. Right now, Hiruko was showing signs of rage and his muscles twitched. "Ever since that day…...I came to resent both you and A for a particular reason. Not only did you kill my beloved brother and banish us from our home…..you also denied me the right to fight and surpass him! All my life, I always wanted to prove myself to Hyakushige that I was worthy of being called his little brother…but he was…difficult to impress" Hiruko got emotional in saying this.

So far, Killer B had not interrupted him. He too had been reflecting on what Hiruko was saying. True, even though they were brothers, the relationship between Hyakushige and Hiruko was not the brightest to say at least. In his mind, the relationship between them was worse than the one between him and A.

"Why bother holding onto this sibling resentment, yo? Unless I'm mistaking, you once said that strength wasn't everything. Have you given up on these ideals of yours?" the man with the sunglasses told him.

Hearing those questions filled Hiruko with rage. Without warning, he charged directly towards B, only for the Jinchuuriki to stand his ground. The two former friends clashed elbows, sending shockwaves to the ground beneath them.

"Don't you ever pull that shit on me, B! In this world, there ain't no such as ideals without strength! It's what it means to be a shinobi! Only the strongest may survive and thrive in this world!" Hiruko barked, once again letting his emotions get the best of him.

Still, B was far from giving up on this clash. "Cut the crap, you fool! Those are just bogus ideals that Hyakushige kept worshipping. Hell, even A used to do the same thing!" B informed his opponent, still trying to get into him. "And we both know damn well about how compassion, love and honor are stronger than strength or whatever bullshit you may want to believe in!" he added to his insistence.

Surprisingly, Hiruko's eyes widened a little. It would seem that B's words had managed to reach into his mind. Was he willing to listen to reason? Unfortunately, no. Snapping back into his senses, the baldheaded man backed one step away from his opponent. He was now preparing an attack that most likely was Lariat. Without delay, Hiruko sped up in order to attack B.

Kakashi's eyes snapped. "He's headed straight for us! We better come up with a defense!" he told B, only to see that he was already figure out something. "Tell me that you are unto something, B!" he hoped, still seeing their opponent directing his wrath towards them.

The Jinchuuriki could see how this would go, and he gritted his teeth in frustration. But B did indeed have an idea on how to move against Hiruko. "I'm already workin' on it, Kakashi! As a matter of fact, you may wanna stand back and watch the show!" he told Kakashi and once again calling the power of Gyuki to his side. "Hey Gyuki! Lend me your power once again, yo! We'll work something out that will blow Hiruko away!" B called out to the beast living inside of him.

Within B himself, the Eight-Tailed Ox spoke to him. Even though his expression was difficult to read, B could tell that Gyuki was slightly annoyed at his host's cockiness.

"Why not just use my full power, B? You seem to have forgotten the fact that he defeated your brother" Gyuki spoke up, yet the giant ox could start to grasp at what B wanted. "No, don't tell me that you actually plan on saving him! You have lost your mind! Hiruko Sado is on that horrendous dragon's side, B! You can't expect him to just come back to your side!" he spoke up, trying to convince his partner to give up saving Hiruko.

Killer B didn't seem to mind. "You think I don't know that, ya fool? Sure, I do! But I don't wanna go OP on him immediately. Yeah, I need to know just how strong Hiruko has gotten since we last fought! So, let's try taking this slow one more time!" he told Gyuki.

"Very well. If not for me, you would've already been dead by now. But be careful, B. He was able to block your attack with such ease. That should be more than enough to convince you how powerful he is" Gyuki told his host.

Sensing the tailed beast's Chakra build within him, Killer B only grinned smugly. "Then let's turn up the heat once again! Oh yeah!" he loudly exclaimed before he transformed himself into the same form as he had done before. Gyuki's Chakra was now in a humanoid shape, but there was more to B's form. He created a bull's skull around him. "LARIAT!" he then exclaimed before charging straight towards his opponent.

Hiruko could see that Killer B was trying to attack him with the Lariat while wearing the Eight-Tailed Ox's powers. Still, he didn't seem intimidated. He only obliged by speeding up his charge towards B. The powerful Sado was also planning on using Lariat against B. Neither of them would back down from this clash.

"YOU WANNA SEE WHICH ONE IS BEST!? THEN GET READY TO GET YOUR BOVINE ASS HANDLED, B!" Hiruko yelled, his golden Chakra Cloak empowering as he sped up his efforts.

Kakashi could only stand and watch as Killer B was ready to clash with his opponent. But although he let B do as he wanted, Kakashi was not gonna sit on the sidelines. Realizing that B was facing a tough opponent, the masked man chased after the Jinchuuriki, hoping that the poet/rapper was not getting himself killed.

Not far from the clashes, Nagisa was handling the Fifth Mizukage and Suigetsu on his own. So far, he was doing a great job, despite the challenge he was getting from Mei. Indeed, he had to admit that she was an amazing kunoichi, given how powerful and wise she was. As a matter of fact, Nagisa had grown weary of battling Suigetsu so that he mostly concentrated himself on Mei.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Mei exclaimed while performing some handseals. With it, a large serpentine dragon emerged from the nearby water. Its gaze was headed straight towards Nagisa.

The blonde-haired man only smirked in what he was seeing. "Is this the best you have to offer? Allow me to respond in kind!" Nagisa called out and slammed the butt of his sword onto the ground. "WATER SHIELD!" he then said, a ball of water forming all around him.

When the water dragon launched its maul upon Nagisa, he withstood it perfectly. But little did he know that Suigetsu was using the water dragon to his advantage. Nagisa could spot a humanoid shape appear before him. Without delay, he deactivated his shield of water, bursting it so that Suigetsu was sent flying away.

"Damn it! I almost had him!" Suigetsu cursed, but he could see how Nagisa had his attention directed towards Mei. The swordsman scowled in seeing this. "Still underrating me? You just know how to make me hate your ass!" he remarked, feeling insulted in seeing Nagisa ignore him as a whole.

"So you're the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi? I have heard much about you" Nagisa commented before pointing Narumi at her. "They say that you are the most powerful Mizukage to have taken the helm. Are they true?" he then asked her with a cocky tone.

Mei curved her lips into a frown. "Those rumors are greatly exaggerated. And how I fare as the Mizukage is not for a terrorist such as you to decide" the brunette informed him. She then began sprinting towards him while performing some handseals quickly. Nagisa couldn't help but to wonder what kind of jutsu she would use upon him. "Lava Style: Melting Jutsu!" she exclaimed before spewing out acidic fluid from her mouth.

Seeing this forced Nagisa's orange eyes to widen in surprise. The acidic fluid was headed straight to him. Something had to be done. Performing some handseals, he decided to mount a defense. "Water Style: Water Wall!" he said and blew out a wall of water around himself. With this powerful defense jutsu, Nagisa was adamant that the acidic fluid would disperse.

But looking up, he could see Mei in the air, smirking while preparing a new attack upon him. "Water Style: Raging Waves!" she called out before unleashing her attack upon the swordsman. Given the amount of Chakra she put into the attack, the attack was able to send Nagisa flying.

However, Nagisa stubbornly clung himself onto the ground with his sword. He was about to his clan's signature jutsu in order to turn the tide against Mei, only for Suigetsu to unleash his attack upon him with his sword.

"NOW YOU'RE MINE, BASTARD!" Suigetsu exclaimed as he swung Kubikiribōchō at his enemy. "GREAT WATER ARM JUTSU!" he roared while using his muscles in order to send his opponent flying.

Nagisa was sent crashing into the wall of rock and it was quite an explosion. Suigetsu took his time to catch his breath, feeling how much the fight had taken a tall upon his body. He was joined by Mei, who surprisingly found herself smiling at the swordsman.

"You did well, Suigetsu Hozuki. Not only were you able to cooperate with me, you also managed to temper that bloodlust of yours. All the more reason for why you were inducted into the Divine Division" the Fifth Mizukage commended his efforts.

Hearing this made Suigetsu crack a smile as he panted. "Thanks…..boss…you're…..welcome" he said those words while panting.

Still, Mei knew that their opponent was far from defeated. They stood their guard, expecting Nagisa to emerge out and unleash whatever tricks he possessed. To their utter astonishment, the swordsman was nowhere to be seen. Not even his weapon was there.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mei wondered as she and Suigetsu got over to see why their opponent was nowhere to be seen on this spot. But as they reached the spot, they both froze. They could see what appeared to be a hole on the ground. "Unbelievable! It looks as if he was dug himself!" the Mizukage noted.

Suigetsu grunted. "Well, with that giant of his, he's pretty much able to do anything, even shock his way through rocks" he replied, yet his violet eyes soon widened in realization. "Wait a minute…if he's digging underneath us then that means he….." before Suigetsu could ponder it on his own, Mei seemed to be a step ahead of him.

The brunette quickly walked towards the cliffside's edge, feeling that Nagisa was planning on actually doing it. "He's digging underneath us and a hole into the wall beneath the edge! That means he will….." Mei's fears turned out to be true.

Both she and Suigetsu could see Nagisa jump off the tunnel he had made in the wall of rock beneath them. The blonde-haired man dived into the sea, feeling the exposure all around his body. He held onto Narumi, the trident like sword sparkling with electricity.

"I will raise the storms on this blasted place! No one shall escape my wrath! Come forth dwellers of the sea! Answer your master's call! The sharks, the orcas, the octopuses and the sea serpents! All of you are to help me raise the tides!" Nagisa exclaimed, trying to communicate with whatever animals lived in the oceans.

As he did that, things began to change with the water. Those who were onboard the Katsuyu, Gamakichi and Aoba could all feel the uneasiness that was taking shape. Each group on the three beasts tried to see what was really happening. While they had seen Nagisa fall into the water, they knew that he had succeeded in doing something terrible.

The only one who seemed to have a clue of what was going on, was Chojuro. The four-eyed swordsman looked down at the water from Aoba's head and watched the events with eyes of fear. Shachi stood beside him.

"What is it now!?" he asked Chojuro, who quickly reached for his sword.

"This is no time to explain, we need to stand our ground for now!" Chojuro said, trying to raise his voice, hoping that everyone would hear him loud and clear. "EVERYONE! STAY WHERE YOU ARE! DO NOT JUMP INTO THE WATER! IT'S GETTING INFESTED WITH SEA ANIMALS!" he called out to them.

The groups standing on Gamakichi and Katsuyu were confused at all this. "What are you talking about!? Is there anything we need to…" Sakura was trying to get some answers out of him, yet something interrupted her.

Right above Katsuyu's back, a great white shark was fixing its monstrous teeth upon the refugees. Somehow, it had breached from the sea and was directing it's killing intent upon those on the giant slug's back. The refugees were in shock of this.

But before the shark could even land its bite upon Katsuyu or any other on her back, Tsunade jumped up in the air, preparing to punch the predatory fish away from them. She succeeded, and the shark was sent back into the water. The Hokage landed on the giant slugs back, checking out to see if everyone was alright. While Sai and Asami seemed fine, Karin was shaking in her boots.

"Wh-what the h-hell just happened!?" Karin wondered aloud, stunned by the fact that a ferocious shark was so close in getting her in it's jaws.

Tsunade gritted her teeth in frustration. "A shark…..but does that mean the water here is crawling with….." the blonde-haired woman walked over to see what it was.

"Lady Tsunade. Careful! There are hordes of sea beasts in the seas!" Katsuyu warned her mistress.

They were not the only ones discovering it. Soon, the groups on Gamikichi and Aoba could see how the water was infected with all kinds of dangerous sea animals. Sharks, orcas, octopuses and even sea serpents. They all tried to get their chance in attacking one of the gigantic animals that were floating on the water.

When a giant octopus was about to use three of its tentacles to grab Aoba by the head, Chojuro, Shachi, Darui and Cee quickly intervened. They slashed or batted away a tentacle that tried to grab either Aoba or one of them to the depths.

"Everyone! Spread quickly across this snake's head! Don't let anyone of these beasts near it!" Chojuro told everyone, slashing his sword in order to cut a tentacle that was nearing him. He was growing frustrated. "I knew that guy would come up with whatever messed up plans he had!" he remarked.

"Quit whining and help us in getting those damn tentacles off this snake!" Darui rebuked him, also using his sword in order to cut a tentacle.

As for those who were standing on Gamakichi, they were trying to avoid getting caught by breaching orcas. These things were relentless and would not stop until one of them had a person in their teeth. Even so, their efforts proved to be in vain. All the shinobis standing on the big toad were resilient enough to swat them away.

Among them, Lee was the one most enthusiastic. Using his taijutsu, he punched and kicked every breaching orca that dared to eat him. The stood no chance against him.

"Hah! Take that overgrown dolphins!" he boasted proudly before landing on Gamakichi's back to join the others.

Still, there were more orcas and sharks who were willing to try and feast on them. Regardless, they were beaten by Sakura, Yamato and the rest of the gang.

"This is getting ridiculous! Just what was that thinking summoning sea creatures at us!?" Sakura wondered as she punched a shark that was about to bite her.

"I could ask the same thing. But if I'm to guess, it must be due to the fact that Nagisa wants us all dead. After all, we narrowly managed to survive his tsunami" Juugo come up with an answer.

"Is that so? Well, that explains a lot" Yamato remarked as he looked at the sea beneath him. The brown-haired man couldn't believe it, but something was happening with the seafloor. "Wait! Is it just me or is the sea level being raised?" he then wondered.

The rest of the group started to take notice of what Yamato was pointing at. He was right, the sea level was rising. And the one responsible for that? Nagisa, of course. As a matter of fact, the blonde-haired swordsman stood on the seafloor in a triumphant pose. He did that while facing Mei and Suigetsu, who were waiting for him at the cliffside.

Both the Mizukage and the Mist swordsman couldn't believe in what they were seeing. Nagisa didn't seem to mind their reactions. He liked them. A water pillar was shot right up to the cliffside and he stood there waving his hand at his two opponents.

"Hello, simpletons! Sorry for the wait! I just had to create a little water show for these guys to enjoy!" Nagisa told them and jumped over the pair and landed not far from their location. Smirking, he pointed Narumi at his opponents. "Now then. Are you still feeling the need to take on me? If I were you, you'd be wise to surrender" he then advised them.

While Suigetsu only raised an eyebrow in hearing this, Mei was far from amused. The expression on her face indicated that she was furious at him for such insolence. Therefore, she would do the honor and continue fighting the swordsman.

"You can try acting all high and mighty as much as you want. It won't change the fact that your defeat is inevitable" Mei spoke up, the Fifth Mizukage not mincing her words while speaking to her opponent. "From what I have witnessed here, you are too dangerous to be left wandering around the world. As such, you must be disposed of, before you become a great threat like that hideous dragon you serve! So mark my words, Nagisa Sorui! You and your allies will all face justice! Your master will fall!" a burning determination was brewing inside Mei as she said those words. It had been a while since she was last this outspoken. But dire times such as these required her to get tougher as such.

As Mei said those words, a tremor appeared out of he blue. All fight in the area stopped and they wondered whether this was only natural. That was not the case here. As the tremor got stronger, it also began affecting the water in the volcanic ring. They could even see a large circle of fiery light in it. What was that? The waters became disbalanced and Katsuyu, Gamakichi and Aoba held on tight as they knew this was going to get ugly. From everyone's standpoint, this was not Nagisa's doing. Oh no, this was something else. A deep laughter could be heard, as it came from underneath them.

"YOU CALLED, LITTLE MIZUKAGE…" a large, serpentine creature of hellish fire and molten lava suddenly emerged out of the water, sending shockwaves in the area. Because of this, the water began shrinking, most likely due to a hole being created at the bottom. Katsuyu, Gamakichi and Aoba managed to make it to safer ground. Even so, the place was getting its water reduce. This gargantuan beast rose above the cliffside, fixing it's burning gaze upon Mei and the other shinobis that were currently fighting there. An evil grin formed while facing Mei, who was left speechless by what she was witnessing. "AND KENROJIN HAS ANSWERED!" the dragon finally finished his sentence.

Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi and Killer B all stopped with whatever fighting they were in and turned their attention to Kenrojin. They joined up Mei and Suigetsu, watching as Kenrojin lowered his head to get a better look at them. So far, the dragon was feeling satisfied over seeing so many people in his lair.

"HOW FASCINATING! YOU ALL STARTED THE BATTLE WHILE I WAS RESTING IN MY LAIR COMFORTABLY! BUT NOW THAT I AM HERE, THE TRUE CHALLENGE HAS ONLY BEGUN!" he loudly exclaimed.

Nagisa was furious to have the water completely vanish. He could also see that many of the sea creatures he had summoned were all lying dead on the volcanic ground Kenrojin had created. The swordsman directed his rage towards the dragon.

"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!? I WAS HAVING EVERYTHING UNDER…" Nagisa was interrupted by an angry Kenrojin.

"SILENCE! MINDLESS MORTAL!" Kenrojin bellowed. But he quickly dismissed Nagisa and returned his focus on the group of shinobis that stood on the cliffside. "YOU ALL HAVE COME HERE TO RUIN MY PLANS OF REMAKING THIS WORLD! BUT YOU ARE ALREADY TOO LATE! THE REMAKING IS ALMOST HALFWAY FINISHED!" he then revealed before laughing out loud.

As he did that, many dragons emerged out of the rocky walls in the volcanic ring. Everyone was shocked. These were Kenrojin's hatchlings. While not as large and powerful as their "father", these smaller volcanic dragons were still deadly enemies to the shinobis and kunoichis. They all flew up the air and circled around Kenrojin. The giant dragon circled around and spotted the shinobis that were on the big animals. He knew just the right way to test his hatchlings.

"FEAST, MY CHILDREN! FEAST UPON THE FLESH OF HUMANITY!" Kenrojin then commanded his precious children and they obeyed without question. Now, the destructive dragon had entered the battle, and he was happy

 _To be continued….._

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 **Authors' note: Now we're getting halfway with this phase of the story. The next ones will still continue the battle on the Island of Tides, or whatever place it has become with Kenrojin remaking it. I do not seek to rush to the climax, so we will still be able to see a lot before Kenrojin decided to make his move. And yeah, Nagisa's ability may be inspired by Aquaman's but he's in a different league. I hope you all are enjoying reading this story so far. Believe me, I now know how to tone down on the lemon parts of the story. In fact, I may have to do reconsider some of the previous chapters that has some OoC actions, especially the one between Kiba and Hinata. But when I will do that, I don't know. Even so, the story goes forward. See ya!**


	35. Two Stories of Shame and Dishonor

**Author's note: This chapter will be a flashback chapter, telling us how Nagisa and Hiruko came to be in what they are as members of the Dragon Creed. It will tell us a little about their backgrounds, although I won't go into so much detail. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 35: Two Stories of Shame and Dishonor**

 _In the bowls of a volcano, the Island of Tides_

The combined ninja force of the Leaf, Mist and Cloud Villages were up against a terrifying challenge stemming from the gargantuan dragon Kenrojin, as well as his newly-hatched "children". Emerging from the previously water-filled bowl, Kenrojin had made sure to turn it back into a place of heat and smog. All the water was gone. And the dragon just arrived when the intruders on his lair was fighting three members of the Dragon Creed: Saizo Uchiha, Nagisa Sorui and Hiruko Sado. Still, Kenrojin felt it was the perfect time to unleash his children upon the shinobis. None of them would leave his lair alive. As a matter of fact, he wanted them to be made out as example for everyone who dared oppose him.

Floating above the sky, Kenrojin mused to himself as he watched his hatchlings attack every enemy that they came across. He had even begun noticing how the hatchlings had even begun attacking his allies from the Dragon Creed. Still, Kenrojin paid no heed to their concerns. He found entertainment in seeing his allies being forced to battle his hatchlings.

"EXCELLENT WORK, MY PRECIOUS CHILDREN! NOW, TEST THE RESOLVE OF OUR ALLIES! IF THEY ARE AS STRONG AS THEY CLAIM TO BE, THEY WILL HAVE TO PROVE THEMSELVES BEFORE ME! ONLY THE STRONGEST ARE WORTHY OF FIGHTING BESIDE KENROJIN!" Kenrojin declared as he blew out hellfire from his mouth.

But the dragon soon caught wind of Naruto and Sasuke charging towards him in the air. Each of them had activated their most powerful forms: Nine-Tailed Beast Mode and Susanoo, respectively. And now, they had decided to deal with the true and dangerous threat of Kenrojin. As he saw them charging towards him, the dragon grinned evilly.

"MISERABLE WORMS! YOU THINK EACH OF YOU ARE WORTHY TO BATTLE ME, THE BLACK SCOURGE!?" he demanded to know, before grinning at them with his monstrous teeth. "YOU ARE AS FOOLISH AS THE SAGE AND HIS BROTHER! THEY THOUGHT IMPRISONING ME IN THE MOON WOULD END MY WRATH!" he then added, insulting the Sage of the Six Paths himself.

Each of the two powerful shinobis didn't pay heed to his taunts, although Naruto couldn't stand hearing Kenrojin insult Hagoromo and Hamura like that. "JUST SHUT UP AND COME AT US, YA OVERGROWN SERPENT!" Naruto angrily called out from Kurama.

"You are just as predictable as every other madman that has showed up on this world before!" Sasuke said through his Susanoo. "ALLOW US TO SHUT THAT ANNOYING MOUTH OF YOURS FOR GOOD!" he then yelled, brandishing the giant sword with black flames.

Kenrojin laughed deeply in return. "I SPIT UPON YOUR EMPTY THREATS, MORTAL! BUT IF YOU WISH TO DIE SOONER, THEN SO BE IT! I WILL TURN THAT HOPE OF YOURS INTO DESPAIR!" the dragon declared and unleashed his wrath upon the two powerful shinobis. Truth be told, Kenrojin had been looking forward to see how powerful Naruto and Sasuke were, and he had high hopes for them to give him a worthy fight.

Beneath the clash taking place in the air, the various shinobis of the Leaf, Mist and Cloud were having their own problems with the arrival of Kenrojin's hatchlings. Despite Gamakichi, Aoba and Katsuyu being summoned to give them assistance, the swarms of hatchlings were endless. Still, every shinobi and kunoichi made sure that none of these smaller yet deadly dragons reached the refugees. Those people were too defenseless and were likely to be targeted by them.

On the other hand, the hatchlings had managed to even pull some of the ninjas off the giant beasts. Among them was Tenten. She got swapped by a hatchling's tail, which made her fall off Gamakichi. But with tough luck, she managed to land on a safe spot and avoid falling into one of the many pools of lava that had appeared thanks to Kenrojin's doing.

The brunette panted as she got on her knee. "That was close! I got too distracted by the number of dragons circling around me!" she noted, slowly getting up on her feet.

As Tenten did that, she quickly felt the need to dive onto the volcanic ground. She did it, and narrowly avoided getting bit by a hatchling from behind. The brunette groaned in frustration.

"Damn it! They definitely are a nuisance!" Tenten noted, getting back on her feet to see that the hatchling was being joined by two others in attacking her. Still, the kunoichi didn't turn and run away. She even rolled out a long scroll and performed a hand seal. "As such, I'm gonna give them a piece of my mind! Unsealing Jutsu!" she exclaimed and a large straight-edged fuma shuriken appeared on the scroll.

Carrying it behind her back, Tenten faced her flying foes with determination within her brown eyes. They were diving straight towards her, yet Tenten had the hatchlings right were she wanted them.

"You want this fuma shuriken!? WELL, YOU CAN HAVE IT! EAT THIS!" Tenten yelled as she threw the large weapon towards the serpentine creatures.

All three hatchlings were caught by the fuma shuriken and they were torn to pieces, much to Tenten's relief and satisfaction. She received the giant weapon as it spun back to her.

"Heh. That's three nuisances down, more to go" the kunoichi said with sarcasm in her voice.

Tenten could suddenly hear a voice coming from above. Looking up, she saw Shikamaru falling towards her. With her quick reflexes, she threw the fuma shuriken, so that it could catch Shikamaru and bring him down safely. Luckily it caught him. Once the fuma shuriken was on the harsh ground, Shikamaru sighed in relief over the fact he was saved.

"Tenten! Thank God you saved my ass just now. One of those bastards managed to pull me off the toad's back while I was distracted" he thanked her before turning his attention to some of the flying hatchlings.

Although most of them were focused on the shinobis on the three summoned beasts, some in the swarm had begun targeting those on the ground as well. Both Shikamaru and Tenten could tell that they were slowly starting to become a huge pain in the neck to them.

"Then how about we team up and strike them together?" the kunoichi asked him in return, causing Shikamaru to let out a chuckle.

"How can I say no to that? Hell yeah, I'm in on this" Shikamaru told her, much to Tenten's amusement. He was even prepared to launch one of his family-exclusive jutsus upon these flying monstrosities. "Back me up with your weapons! I'll try and catch some of those nasty things with my Shadow Stitching Jutsu!" he then told the brunette.

Tenten held up a kunai, smirking in the process. "I'm already on it!" he told him.

Other shinobis that had managed to get themselves thrown down onto the volcanic ground was Yamato, Hinata and Chouji had all managed to fall down from Gamakichi thanks to the hatchlings' efforts. With Chouji's Expansion Jutsu, all three had managed to land safely. It was only fortunate that Chouji was not near a pool of lava.

"Ouch! That was a harsh landing!" Chouji groaned, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, are you guys alright!?" he asked Hinata and Yamato, given that they both had landed upon his round expanded stomach.

"I…...I'm alright. Thank you, Chouji" Hinata politely replied while getting off Chouji.

Yamato did the same thing. "Solid work! If not for your Expansion Jutsu, I think me and Hinata would've had a harsh landing" he commended the Akimichi for his abilities, yet soon began turning his attention upon the incoming hatchlings that were screeching for human blood. "But it appears that we've underestimated the teamwork of these hatchlings. Their plan could be to get us all onto ground level" he then noted grimly.

Hearing this made Hinata feel concerned for her teammates' safety. "Kiba! Akamaru! Shino! They're all still on Gamakichi's back" the bluenette's worries grew as she looked up to the giant toad.

"But they obviously are doing good. That I'm sure of!" Chouji assured Hinata, the bluenette glancing over to him.

Yamato smiled in seeing this. "Chouji's right, Hinata. Your teammates are strong and capable of handling things on their own. Surely you know that better than any of us" he told the bluenette.

Hinata was almost on the verge of blushing in embarrassment, yet she managed to compose her feelings. She knew they were right about Kiba and Shino. There was no way she could doubt them. Clenching her fists, the Hyuuga stood in her Gentle Fist Art stance, preparing to take on whatever hatching that dared to attack her.

"Then I will make my stand here. If my friends are holding on their own, so can I. Byakugan!" Hinata activated her clan's Kekkei Genkai. With it, she managed to spot which hatchlings were prepared to attack them. "I see four smaller dragons diving towards us!" she informed those near her.

Yamato knew just the trick to pull on them. As soon as he caught glimpse of the dragons Hinata had informed him about, Yamato did some quick handseals. "Wood Style: Silent Strangle Jutsu!" he exclaimed and transformed his right arm into a tree. With this tree, he created multiple branches that managed to grow around the four hatchlings.

It didn't take long before Yamato was successful in immobilizing the smaller creatures. Seeing this made Yamato smirk in confidence. However, it was short-lived, when he, Hinata and Chouji could hear shrieks coming from above. Looking up, five hatchlings were diving towards the three, hoping to devour them in their jaws.

"WAAAAAAH! THEY'RE RIGHT ABOVE US!" Chouji exclaimed in feat with what he was seeing.

But Hinata was quick to react, and she launched a defensive move in order to protect them all. "Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!" the bluenette exclaimed, putting much effort and Chakra into creating a shield while spinning around. This resulted in the hatchlings getting sent flying away from the trio.

Both Chouji and Yamato were intrigued by what they just witnessed. In their mind, Hinata was slowly starting to come in the same strength is her late cousin Neji. In other words, she had grown more powerful by the years.

"I must say, you really pulled it off, Hinata" Yamato complimented the bluenette, impressed by her defensive capabilities with her Gentle Fist Art.

"I appreciate your compliment, Yamato" Hinata informed him, yet she soon got cautious in sensing more incoming enemies. "Two enemies incoming!" she quickly said.

This time, it was Chouji's turn to defend his friends. He would not let some small creatures scare him so easily. He stepped forwards and pointed his thumb at himself. "Stand back and watch the show, guys! I'll handle these nasty creeps!" the chubby man proudly declared and waited for the two hatchlings to come towards him. Standing firm, Chouji funneled Chakra into his hands, causing red markings to appear on them. In other words, these handpalms were powerful.

The two hatchlings had their jaws open, longing to have something to bite on. Chouji would just do nicely, considering his weight. But even as he saw how dangerous those jaws were, Chouji still refused to back down. Before they could even open their jaws to attack, Chouji had already made his move by slapping them with his powerful hands.

"SUPER SLAP!" he loudly declared while sending each of the hatchlings flying towards a different direction.

Both Hinata and Yamato were amazed to see how powerful those slaps of Chouji were. Then again, he was the heir to the Akimichi clan, such strength was to be expected.

On Gamakichi's back, Sakura, Lee, Shino and other friends and allies of Naruto had to fight tooth and nail against the swarms of dragons seeking to pull them off the giant toad's back. Lee was definitely among the most enthusiastic of them all, jumping up in the air and daring his enemies to come at him. They obliged, and Lee gave them a beating with his nunchaku. One by one, the dragons were knocked out.

"Come on! Is that all you dragons got!? I expected worse!" Lee tauntingly asked them as he was prepared to land on Gamikichi's back.

Juugo, despite disliking so much violence, protected himself from the hatchlings. Using his Sage Transformation, he created an axe on his transformed arm. With it, Juugo swung the axe upon any dragon tough enough to get at him. But fighting them did somewhat bring relief to Juugo, considering that he realized there existed monsters far more vicious than what he was.

"While I take no pleasure in killing, it feels good to put an end to these hatchlings. The very sight of them frightens even me" the orange-haired man remarked, using his might to swing his axe against an incoming dragon. "I just pray to God that this battle will be over before my lust for fighting consumes me. Good thing that our enemies so far are only beasts" Juugo prayed, hoping that conflict would come to an end.

Sakura looked over to Katsuyu where Tsunade, Sai and the others were trying to protect the refugees. The pinkette realized that her mentor would need some assistance and wanted to help her. The only problem was the long gap between Gamikichi and Katsuyu. But Sakura was approached by Ino, as she already had an idea on how she could reach Tsunade.

"You're saying what!?" Sakura asked the blondie in disbelief at her idea, yet Ino didn't pay heed to her reaction.

"Deal with it, Billboard Brow! This idea of mine is genius! It saves you the trouble of having to bat away the dragons while you jump" Ino assured her best friend.

Normally, Sakura would argue with Ino about ideas such as this. But given the circumstances, she was left with no choice. She would anything in order to reach Tsunade.

"Alright. Then you better do your part, Ino!" Sakura firmly told him, before a mischievous smile crept on her face. "Otherwise, I'll reveal Sasuke all the secrets you've kept from him, if you know what I mean" she teasingly told her.

Hearing this made Ino fume with anger. "Secrets? What the hell are you babbling about!? He and I are basically in the same field, Sakura! There are no secrets between us!" the blondie snapped at her. But Ino suddenly took notice of a hatchling descending down towards them. The kunoichi realized that the time was now. "Heads up! Here comes your ride! Remember to jump when I say so!" she informed Sakura.

Sakura responded by getting herself ready to jump on the dragon. Despite their size, the hatchlings were large enough for a human being to ride on them. That is exactly what Sakura was planning on doing. But why would she need Ino?

"JUMP NOW!" Ino said and Sakura immediate followed her reflexes. The dragon, while failing to catch Sakura, soon had her on its back. But Ino was not yet finished. "Ninja Art: Mind Destruction Jutsu!" she exclaimed while targeting the dragon that was carrying Sakura.

Despite being a monstrosity, Ino could still control its nervous system. As such, she was able to steer the dragon to her liking. When flying above Katsuyu, Sakura hit it on the head, thus knocking it out. She then proceeded to jump off the creature and land on the back of the giant slug. Sakura immediately turned her attention to Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade! I'm here!" Sakura called out to the Hokage, who already had her hands full with some of the dragons.

She smiled in seeing her protégé arriving. "Great timing, Sakura! How are the others on Gamakichi doing?" she questioned them.

"They're doing well so far. While these dragons may have succeeded to pull some of us off, they haven't killed us. Besides, we're far stronger than them" Sakura informed her superior.

"Glad to hear it! You're welcome in helping me, Sai and the others in defending these refugees. They are constantly being targeted by the hatchlings" the Hokage informed Sakura, and they both watched as Sai had drawn some creatures to fight the enemies by using the Super Beast Scroll. However, Tsunade's attention was soon directed up towards the air where Naruto and Sasuke were clashing against Kenrojin. "Still, it's only a matter of time before that monster starts getting more serious in destroying this world. Hopefully, they will use that arrow they received on the Moon wisely. It may be the only chance we have in ending Kenrojin" Tsunade noted, her voice serious as she ever could be.

Sakura also looked up. The pinkette still remembered the gift they had received from Kukurihime and the wisps before they went back to the Earth. While she had hopes of it being the key to stopping the dragon's rampage, she was also uncertain whether it was enough to actually kill him.

"The Senshi no Hikari…please use it wisely, Sasuke" she thought about her teammate.

Up by the cliffside and high above the volcanic ground, Saizo, Nagisa and Hiruko were each fighting off the swarms of hatchlings encroaching upon them. It was outrageous that they would be attacked, given that they were allies of Kenrojin. Or was he? Even so, the three members of the Dragon Creed easily managed to defeat their flying foes. As soon as they had succeeded, they took their time to observe the current climate happening around them.

"Tch…this place has been turned into a hellhole once again! Damn that dragon!" Nagisa cursed in what he was seeing.

"That's what upsets you the most? I'm more upset about the fact that he sent swarms of his servants against us!" Hiruko was in disbelief over Nagisa's complaining about the environment.

So far, Saizo had been quiet compared to his cohorts. But he did look up to the air and saw Naruto and Sasuke battle Kenrojin. His crimson eyes narrowed, specifically at his cousin. The raven-haired man was agitated by the fact that Kenrojin had stolen his kill from him. He simply couldn't let that stand.

Facing Nagisa and Hiruko, Saizo decided to inform them of what he would do. "Nagisa. Hiruko. You two better go and do whatever you feel like doing. If you wanna fight and kill those guys you hate, then you may do that. This will probably be the last time we speak together" he revealed to his partners.

Neither of them couldn't believe what they just heard. "Hold up! Why are you saying this all of a sudden!? It's not everyday that you got to be this polite" Hiruko pointed out, yet Nagisa didn't seem to be that surprised.

In fact, the blonde-haired man grinned in what he was hearing. "I see where you are going at. You're now planning on getting real in this fight! In that case, I best do the same thing" Nagisa remarked and held up his trident. "Well, then I might as well go and find that little bastard I've got a bone to pick with! See you on the other side, Saizo! It was nice knowing ya" he said before running off.

Hiruko could only stand and watch as Saizo activated his Susanoo. He didn't know what the raven-haired man had in mind, yet he could gradually understand what it was. Truth be told, Hiruko had to smirk at Saizo.

"Why are you still here? Didn't I just tell you that you were free to do what you wanted?" Saizo asked him, not even looking over his shoulder to face Hiruko.

"Oh, I'll go soon. But not before I have some final words with you, Saizo" the black-skinned man revealed, wanting to share some wisdom with the young man. "We may be different ages, let alone have lived in different lifetimes. Still, I can't help but consider you as one of the few people who have understood me and my grief. We have more in common than what you care to admit, Saizo" he spoke up.

Saizo stood at the edge of the cliffside, listening to Hiruko's explanation while having his eyes closed. While he hadn't responded to what his comrade was saying, it was clear that he wanted Hiruko to continue telling him this. Therefore, Saizo wouldn't interrupt him.

"I may have joined the Dragon Creed later than you did…...but I still feel that I've known you and Nagisa for a long time. It's because of you I found this new strength to avenge my clan….as well as my family. Hell, there were sometimes I even wished you were my son. Before I go, I just wanna wish you luck with your vengeance, Saizo. I hope to see you again in another timeline. Farewell" once Hiruko finished his explanation, he ran off, intending on fighting Killer B.

This left Saizo all by himself. He had been listening to Hiruko's explanation. It had been good to hear that someone had been able to understand him. But on another note, Saizo felt that his history couldn't be compared to Hiruko's. No, that was simply too misleading.

Still, a small smile crept upon his face. "Hiruko…Nagisa…...thank you both for everything. But now, I must finish with something that I need to do. I will eliminate death itself" he thought, his black flames growing powerful as he opened his eyes to glance up at Kenrojin. "Now as for you…I WILL MAKE SURE YOU REMEMBER WHOM YOU OWE YOUR RESURRECTION TO, DRAGON!" Saizo spoke up, his Susanoo slowly starting to take shape. What he was planning on doing, remained a mystery.

In one part of the cliffside, Killer B and Kakashi had managed to defeat some of their foes. They had expected everything to be alright. But it was far from the truth. Once they could see someone approach them, they realized who it was. B was the first one to take notice.

"What is it? Is it another hatchling?" Kakashi wondered as he looked to his right side. But he paused once he could see Hiruko standing there.

The baldheaded man was already standing in his fighting position, his Kaminaraigan fully activated. The golden Chakra Cloak was also on full display.

"Don't think for a second that our fight's been concluded just because of some damn dragons goin' crazy! Come at me, you sons of bitches! It's time to finish were we left off!" Hiruko barked at them.

Both B and Kakashi faced him. "The fuck's your deal, bro!? We're having a giant dragon causing chaos and you still wanna fight us!? You need to get your shit together, yo!" the rapper/poet rebuked Hiruko's stubborn lust for fighting.

"He speaks the truth! And given how Kenrojin just sent his minions at you and your cohorts, we're surprised that you still wanna fight us! We're not your enemies! He is! What does it take for you to see reality!?" Kakashi demanded to know an answer.

Instead of speaking, Hiruko responded by using his fast speed to fast approach the couple of powerful shinobis. Neither Killer B nor Kakashi had foreseen this to happen, so they were each punched in the face. They had been completely caught off guard, so they were sent flying. But it didn't stop there. Hiruko began chasing after them in the process.

"I AIN'T PLANNING ON DYIN' HERE! THE LEGACY OF THE SADO CLAN RESTS ON MY SHOULDERS! ALL MY ENEMIES, BEWARE MY STRENGHT!" Hiruko shouted as he sprinted in order to reach his opponents.

As he did that, the baldheaded man slowly started to recall back to his past, especially since he was actually fighting Killer B. His mind felt slightly conflicted. There were memories that was positive, yet memories that were negative. Thinking about them actually made Hiruko shed a single tear from his right eye. In return, B glanced at his attacker. He too, was thinking back to the years they weren't enemies.

* * *

 _Flashback, many years ago, the Village Hidden in the Clouds, Land of Lightning_

Hiruko Sado was born into the Sado clan, one of the few that inhabited the Hidden Cloud Village. What was most intriguing about the Sados was partially their Kekkei Genkai: the Kaminaraigan. Many ninjas wondered whether they were distant relatives of some of the greatest shinobi clans. But those were just urban legends. What was known, however, was that the clan were distant blood relatives of the Third and Fourth Raikages. As such, they would always play a part in the politics of the Cloud Village.

As a young boy, Hiruko was raised into a strict household. He was required to undergo immense training as a shinobi. While he was a remarkable fighter, Hiruko always lived in the shadow of his much talented and stronger older brother: Hyakushige Sado. Given that he was to become the clan head, Hyakushige would always get the most attention of the Sados.

This caused Hiruko to grow up rather lonely, but not outside. While he didn't have much friends, there was one he could count on. It happened one day, when Hiruko was sitting by himself, throwing rocks in a nearby river. He felt lonely, given that he didn't get attention at both home and outside.

"Why…...why can my brother have friends and get attention while I can't?" Hiruko wondered, the boy with the shaved black hair facing his own reflection in the river.

As he kept throwing rocks in there, he suddenly took notice of something happening with his reflection. It was as if it had gotten bigger. Or it was because someone was standing behind him. With his quick wits, Hiruko turned around to see who it was. It was a boy at his age, with shaggy white hair and sunglasses. When he was being watched, the boy did a gesture, as if he wanted to bump fists with Hiruko.

"Hey there, bro! How're you doin'?" the young Killer B told him with a smile.

But Hiruko snapped in fear with what he was seeing, so he actually fell into the river. B only stood and watched in confusion as he saw the young boy quickly got up from the river, his clothes soaking wet.

"It's c-cold! The r-river's s-so c-cold!" Hiruko said while shivering.

Resting his hands behind his neck, B observed Hiruko getting up from the river. "What's the deal with you? Are you taking a dip in the river or something?" he asked the boy.

While he was freezing, Hiruko was also angered in what he heard B say to him. "Taking a dip in the river!? You're the one who startled me by almost punching me, you jerkface!" the shaven-haired boy snapped at B.

"Huh? What do you mean by…" B was now getting confused with what he heard Hiruko say, but he slowly started to grasp what he was telling him. "Ah, I see. Well, sorry about that. But listen, I wasn't trying to punch your or anything. I was trying to bump fists with you" he apologized while explaining him what he was really trying to do.

Hiruko glanced at the boy with sunglasses while cooking an eyebrow. "Bump fists? What the heck is that?" he asked, having never heard of something like that before.

"Oh, that's simple. Let me show you how it's done" the boy with the sunglasses said and reached out his right fist towards Hiruko. "All you gotta do is bump yours with mine. That's what's called fist bumping. When we do that, we'll become friends" B informed him.

Hearing B saying that couldn't help but to make Hiruko surmised and happy at the same time. He was now starting to make friends with someone he barley knew. Slowly, Hiruko reached out his fist towards B's. And so, they fist bumped each other. It was the beginning of a friendship.

"The name's Killer B, which rhymes with bee!" the boy said, trying to put on his poetic expression.

Hiruko was slightly surprised to hear the name of this boy. After all, he knew who Killer B was, let alone had heard about him. He was the chosen brother of A, the Third Raikage's son. And not only that, he was also the Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tailed Ox, the same beast that had wreaked havoc across the village in the past. But seeing the friendliness in B's face made Hiruko look past all those rumors. He was rather happy to have made a new friend.

"My name's Hiruko…Hiruko Sado" he replied back, starting to smile while facing B.

"Hiruko, huh? Cool name, yo! You probably have the coolest name of all the Sados I know" he then admitted, even complimenting the boy's name.

Since that day, Killer B and Hiruko Sado became good friends. While B was more colorful and outspoken, Hiruko was shy and slightly introverted. Still, these differences didn't ruin their friendship. Another factor that led to it lasting so long was the friendship shared between their older brothers: A and Hyakushige. They would often compete with each other in competitions, given that they were both duos of brothers. That only strengthened the bond between the friends.

But for Hiruko, meeting Killer B had also strengthened his self-esteem and confidence. He managed to open himself to other kids at his age, yet still maintained his close friendship with the Jinchuuriki. Because of Motoi living himself in self-exile over his attempt to assassinate B, Hiruko became his replacement.

Even as they got older and became jounins, B and Hiruko would still preserve their friendship. They built a friendly rivalry as they grew up under the Third Shinobi World War. B became the teacher of Karui, Omoi and Hikui Sado. Considering that he was friends with Hiruko, B was greatly receiving of Hikui. Hiruko in turn became married to a kunoichi of the Sado clan named Hiromu. And at the wedding, B was his best man.

Tragically, these good times wouldn't last forever. One of the most dramatic events happened in the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi World War. Many had thought the Cloud Village to be quiet after the loss of so many human lives. But an internal strife had arisen in the village. The Sado clan sought to carry out a coup against the village's leadership, including the Fourth Raikage. The clan, feeling that A had failed to take advantage of the other hidden villages' weaknesses in order to strengthen itself, had almost member behind its plans. In order to avoid a full-scale war that would produce many casualties, a duel to the death had been declared between Hyakushige and A. The two former friends were now to fight each other to the death.

On one of the highest peaks in the Land of Lightning, the Head of the Sado clan and the Fourth Raikage battled against each other for a day or two. It was a clash of the titans. Lightning struck down upon the peaks and thunder rumbled in the grey skies. In the end, A emerged out of the fight alive. But he was not happy. Hyakushige was dead, and the Sado clan's threat was put down. Still, a life had been taken away, something the Raikage was not proud to have accomplished, given the Cloud Village's participation in the Hashirama-agreement. And not only had Hyakushige died, but also several members of the Sado clan, including Killer B's student: Hikui. This only escalated tensions between the Sado clan and the Cloud Village.

And as for Hiruko, the loss of Hyakushige had shattered him. Not only was he sad to learn that his brother had died. He would never get the chance of defeating him in combat, something Hiruko had always wanted to. But A had denied him that right, which only gave birth to hos eternal hatred towards the Raikage….as well as B. In those years, Hiruko and his wife Hiromu had become parents of two sons: Hideki an Hideyoshi. But sadly, they wouldn't be able to watch them grow up, especially given the fate the clan was given.

"A! COME UT AND FIGHT ME, YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD!" the adult Hiruko angrily barked as he was heading towards the Raikage Tower. Behind him was members of the Sado clan, crying out for justice. But a line of Cloud ninjas was blocking their path. These were elite ones in the service of the Raikage himself. Still, Hiruko and his clansmen remained undeterred. "MOVE IT! I'M HERE TO FIGHT THE RAIKAGE! I'LL HAVE HIS ASS DEAD BY THE NIGHT!" he yelled at them, charging in full speed.

The Cloud ninjas stood their guard, preparing to block his passage. It was hard, but they succeeded in holding him. Hiruko responded by activating his Kaminaraigan and batted off anyone daring to put their hands on him. Just when the Cloud ninjas were having difficulties, someone intervened to help them.

"ENOUGH OF THIS, HIRUKO!" the baldheaded man snapped when he heard the voice coming from his left. His angry gaze looked at Killer B. The Jinchuurki of the Eight-Tails was facing his longtime friend with a frown. "I'm sorry about Hyakushige. He was a great dude. We all know that! But he didn't give us much of a choice, Hiruko" he informed him.

Hearing this only enraged the Sado. "TO HELL WITH YOUR EXCUSES! MY BROTHER WAS KILLED AS IF HE WAS NOTHING!" he attacked B, yet he felt the need to not succumb himself to rage. "And how can you be so calm when one of your students has died!? Didn't Hikui mean somethin' to you!?" he then demanded an answer from his friend.

Despite seeing the rage, Killer B remained calm. But deep down inside, he was shattered to learn about the death of Hikui, as were Karui and Omoi. "You know that she meant something to me, Hiruko! Don't speak as if I me, Karui and Omoi let her die! You know that's a load of bullshit!" B pointed out, before pointing his finger at his best friend. "And how can you even dare antagonize me all of a sudden!? I never once wished for you nor your clanmates to fuck things up in this village! Why did you blindly follow Hyakushige, Hiruko!? Was our friendship not that much important!?" he was now asking Hiruko about his choices. As B did that, he realized he became slightly emotional.

Before Hiruko could retort back at him, he was interrupted by a loud voice coming from behind the elite Cloud ninjas. They quickly made way for the one who was coming. It was A. The Fourth Raikage was facing the Sados with a stern demeanor. But Killer B could tell that this was all a mask. Beneath that expression lied an emotionally damaged man.

A's eyes narrowed at Hiruko, who wanted to openly challenge him to a combat. The baldheaded man even stood in his fighting stance.

"You ungrateful son of a bitch…..YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO HYAKUSHIGE!" Hiruko yelled and charged at the Raikage.

As fast as he was, A was more capable in sensing his movements. Without even activating his Chakra Cloak, the Raikage used Lariat upon his incoming foe, which was so powerful that Hiruko's throat was almost cut. Still, he was knocked out. The Sados quickly rushed to his side and tried to look at his injury.

The Raikage on the other hand, didn't move to attack him or the other Sados. He faced all of them. "There will be no more violence in this village! The coup has been put down and the mastermind behind is defeated!" A loudly declared, his gaze never leaving sight of the Sados before him. "But still, all of you Sados betrayed your village and willingly chose to assist in this meaningless takeover. That, I can't forgive!" he added.

Hiruko was slowly helped up on his feet, his eyes glaring daggers at the Fourth Raikage and his brother. The very sight of them filled him with nothing but contempt and hatred. But he stood by with his fellow Sados, given that he had become their unofficial clan head after the death of his older brother.

"Sado clan. Despite the contributions you have made to the Cloud Village, your actions have left a huge scar in it. It has caused trauma amongst the villagers. For that, you will be punished. But there will be no more executions!" A spoke up, trying his best to actually hide the sadness within him. "By my right as this village's Fourth Raikage, I hereby banish the Sado clan from the village and the Land of Lightning. You are no longer welcome here! That will be your punishment for your sins! Therefore, I want all of you out of her by the end of this day! There will be no delays! Such is my will as the Raikage!" he then delivered the verdict on the entire Sado clan.

Hiruko stood still, watching as Killer B and many other Cloud ninjas he had made friends with stood by A's side. To him, this was like a stab in the back. After all the kindness and honesty he had shown them…..this was how they repaid him? The baldheaded man remained as the rest of the Sados walked away. He took a glance at his former friends.

"So this is where it ends, huh? Old friendships are now being replaced by new ones. To me, that goes against my way of the shinobi! Mark my words, ninjas of the Cloud….you will all regret this! Especially you, A! I swear, I will become stronger! And I will defeat you in combat!" Hiruko cried at them.

"LEAVE THIS VILLAGE, HIRUKO SADO! YOU HAVE BEEN EXILED! BEGONE BEFORE I MAKE LOSE MY PATIENCE!" the commanding voice of A forced him to comply. As such, he began walking away from the group.

By evening, the Sado clan had left their former home village and started wandering out in exile. Hiruko had not bothered to say goodbye to his former friends. They were all dead to him. Unbeknownst to him, however, there were someone who had actually cried in seeing him leave the village. It was Killer B, Karui, Omoi and even A himself. All of them had secretly mourned the loss of such a great clan, let alone clan head. But now, they were condemned criminals, banished from their own homeland and forced to eek out into foreign lands.

The journey was harsh and the first country the Sado clan entered was the Land of Frost. This country had a harsh environment and it was covered in thick snow. It was also very rugged and mountainous, something which only added to the discomfort of this country. The country even had their own hidden village, the Village Hidden in Frost. Even so, the people in this country was not very receiving towards the Sado refugees. Both the hidden village the nation's daimyo refused to give them a refuge home in this country. As such, the Sados were forced to continue on their journey.

But surviving in this cold climate was harsh, especially when the Sados didn't have housing to warm themselves. They only stayed in tents they had set up, but they weren't enough to keep them warm.

One day, in one of those tents, Hiromu was watching over her two boys, Hideki and Hideyoshi. They were trying to sleep and had been able to do that when their mother was singing a lullaby. But still, it was cold outside and her children needed to stay warm. When a Sado elder offered to look after her boys, Hiromu decided to go and see what her husband was up to. In these dire times, she had constantly looked up to Hiruko for guidance, as did the rest of the clan.

The long-haired woman could see her husband standing still, his gaze turned towards the direction of the Land of Lightning. Hiromu didn't know what he was thinking about, yet she decided to stick at his side.

Hiruko had his arms crossed, his eyes never leaving sight of that direction. "I can't believe this bullshit! Forced to eek out this existence like nomads while nobody is willing to give us refuge! Damn that arrogant daimyo and those Frost ninjas!" he snapped, unable to fathom the attitude the country's daimyo had showed them.

Hiromu sighed deeply. "My love, the Land of Frost is perhaps not the right place for us to stay in. Just look at its harsh environment. All these mountains and layers of snow are completely uninhabitable. It would be better if we continue journeying south to the Land of Hot Water. There, the climate is warmer and we can settle there without any…." Hiromu was coming up with an idea of how they could find a new home.

"Hiromu…...please stop….." the baldheaded man told her.

"But Hiruko, you have heard about the Land of Hot Water. Its people are kinder and willing to take in refugees like us, considering that…" she was interrupted by the angry voice of her husband.

"I SAID STOP IT!" he bellowed, causing Hiromu to be filled with fear of seeing her husband' rage. "We don't deserve this lifestyle, Hiromu! We belong in the Land of Lightning! The Sado clan will not become refugees for the rest of their lives! That asshole A will suffer for what he has done to us!" he added to his rage.

The black-haired woman could see how furious her husband was getting, and it was starting to consume him. "Please, Hiruko. You must let go of your rage and resentment! Vengeance doesn't bring you any salvation! We both learned that during the world war! Peace has finally been achieved in the shinobi world!" she pleaded to him in desperation.

"But at what cost!? Was this all part of the outcome!? Were we destined to live like this!" Hiruko barked, feeling so much resentment towards the Cloud Village. "Bullshit! All we Sados did was to discuss what was in the best interests of the village! Still, that weakling of a Raikage and his dumbass of a younger brother kept insisting that we lay down our ambitions. They said it was a poison. Fools! Ambitions is what makes us strong!" he then told his wife.

"For God's sake, Hiruko! You have two boys to take care off! Is avenging Hyakushige so much important than them!? ANSWER ME!" Hiromu was filled with tears as she confronted her husband.

Being asked about this caused Hiruko to become mute. He widened when his wife was bringing up their boys. Reflecting on what she had said, the baldheaded man thought about their future. He would do anything to ensure they would survive this world.

Turning around, he began walking away, causing his wife to chase after him. "Hiruko…...where are you going?" she asked him, yet she could see what he was indeed trying to do. Desperate, she chased after him. "NO! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVING US BEHIND FOR THIS QUEST OF YOURS! YOU'RE BETTER THAN THIS, HIRUKO! WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS…" Hirumo manage to grab her husband's right arm, only for him to turn around and slap her in the face.

She fell on the snow and was left astonished by what Hiruko just did to her. He had never but his hands on her in such a violent fashion. And yet, he just did that now. As she sobbed and rubbed her sore cheek, Hiruko faced him with a rather cold expression.

"You said it yourself. That the world war had taught us that vengeance wasn't worth chasing. Well, the war taught me something else. To achieve a dream for a better future…...you must be willing to fight for it! And I intend on doing that for the sake of our family and clan!" Hiruko declared, his wife crying when seeing how stubborn he was. "I'm sorry, Hiromu…but I can't forgive that our boys and other innocents have been sentenced to such life! If I am to make them refugees no longer…...then I will defeat A and the rest of the Cloud Village if I have to! Only then, can we return home. When I return glorious from the battle…...we will all go home…...across the mountains" those were the last words Hiruko had for his wife before he disappeared into the snow.

Hiromu was left sobbing, soon joined by other members of the Sado clan. They too were stunned to see how fixated the formerly shy and reserved Hiruko had become on vengeance. For them, there was no hope in saving that man from destruction.

Since abandoning his wife, his son and his clan, Hiruko began an intensive training in the harsh environment. He began living as a hermit, trying to become one with the cold climate itself. Day after day, the Sado longed for the moment he would defeat the Raikage and reclaim his honor. And not only would he fight A. Killer B was also to blame for choosing to side with his brother over their friendship.

But Hiruko's life as a hermit wouldn't last long. One fateful day, while meditating inside a cave he had been inhabiting, the Sado was paid visit by mysterious individuals, especially since they were dressed in black-hooded capes. Hiruko's meditation was interrupted when one of these men chuckled deeply in seeing him.

"Quite a lonely place to be meditating, isn't it? Most people prefer to do that in temples" Hiruko's eyes opened and he was greeted by three hooded individuals. It was the one in the middle who had spoken to him. "Then again, I guess this kind of lifestyle suits you, Hiruko Sado" he told him.

When hearing this, Hiruko growled and activated his Kaminaraigan. "How do you know my name!? And who the fuck are you!?" he barked and even activated his golden Chakra Cloak. "Are you some kind of assassins sent by the Raikage!? Have you come to finish me off!?" he demanded to know whose affiliations they belonged with.

The man in the middle let out a deep chuckle once again. "Now, now, there is no need to get so hissy with me. I am not your enemy, that I can assure you" he said, removing his black hood, thus revealing his spikey, sandy-blonde hair and a golden opera mask that covered his eyes. "In fact, we came here because I really wanted to meet you personally. And let me assure you, we have no loyalties towards any hidden village" the strange man informed Hiruko.

Despite hearing this, there was something that Hiruko didn't fully understand with this stranger. "I'm not so sure if I can trust you. And you still haven't given me an answer. Who are you?" the Sado asked once again.

"I am called the Golden Dragon. I am the one who knows all the secrets of this world, secrets that were never unlocked during the previous world war. Surely, you know what I mean" he introduced himself while grinning cunningly. "Just imagine, Hiruko Sado. There exist forces far greater than the likes of shinobis, their gods and their precious Chakra. These forces, however, are hidden from mortal eyes. Humanity previously believed that all wonders ended with Madara Uchiha and his machinations. But that's all a lie. Even now, I can feel ancient forces awaken from their eternal slumber. Haven't you always desired to see them for yourself?" the Golden Dragon then informed him while asking the Sado once more.

Hiruko was starting to slowly become interested in what he was hearing. But he needed to know more about this Golden Dragon. Therefore, he would tell him what he had discovered. "You know, I realize that you perhaps haven't sought me out just to say hello. What is it you really want with me?" he sternly questioned him.

"You catch on pretty fast. I admire that talent of yours. And as for your question. The answer to that is yes" the Golden Dragon commended the Sado for his capabilities. "Become my ally. Help me uncover this world's true secrets and mysteries, and I will grant you anything you wish. I have heard about your resentment towards the Fourth Raikage. Join the Dragon Creed and you shall be given enough strength to defeat him when the times comes" he offered Hiruko, grinning as he looked at Hiruko.

While the Sado still possessed some misgivings about this stranger, he couldn't help but to feel tempted of his promises. Furthermore, the Golden Dragon seemed to know a lot about Hiruko's past. However, Hiruko was not only thinking about his personal vendetta while listening to the offer. He was also reminded about his family and clan.

"If I join you, will you and this Dragon Creed help protect my family from harm? Will you allow me to do that from the shadows?" Hiruko asked, wanting to test whether these people had his interest in mind.

"Of course. The Dragon Creed allows each member to pursue their own interest, regardless of what they are. And if you are worried about your family, then I can assure you, they are fine. Truth is, we spotted them entering the Land of Hot Water the other day" the masked man told Hiruko, his voice surprisingly filled with sympathy. How could the Golden Dragon suddenly be watching over his family all of a sudden. Hiruko was speechless. "But do not worry, if you need assistance in keeping them safe, you can always ask me for help. What do you say to that, Hiruko Sado?" he then made sure to prepare the Sado for his induction into the order.

Smiling, Hiruko reached out his hand, to which the Golden Dragon did the same thing. They shook each other firmly. "Very well. I'm in. But if I'm to remain hidden, I really need to be anonymous" he remarked.

"It has already been arranged. Come with me to the Village Hidden in the Gold. And you shall be inducted into the order…as the Ebon Dragon" the Golden Dragon informed him and lead him the way along with his other servants.

From that day, Hiruko had become a member of the Dragon Creed. What the organizations role was, remained unknown. But Hiruko would do anything to not only get back at A, but to also make sure his family and clan were protected. He paid no heed to the crimes and trafficking the order was involved with. All that he wanted was to fight and defeat the Raikage, hoping to honor his older brother's defeat.

* * *

 _Back into the past, on a cliffside, the Island of Tides_

Mei Terumi and Suigetsu Hozuki had both been beset by hatchlings. Luckily, they were not match for the Mist ninjas, especially the Fifth Mizukage. Mei's wisdom and Suigetsu's savagery functioned well, despite how different they were in terms of tactics.

"Why are you so attracted to cutting things? Is it a hobby or is it just your nature?" Mei asked him.

Suigetsu responded by simply shrugging his shoulders. "Nope. It's in my nature. Come on, haven't you read about me wanting to become a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist? For being someone who wanted my hide saved, you sure know little about me" he told her smugly.

Mei was not sure about whether Suigetsu was trying to make an impression on her or not. Still, she had to find that amusing. "You caught me there. I know little about you, Suigetsu Hozuki. Truth be told, I rely on Chojuro to fill me in on your story" she admitted, yet her smile quickly changed into a frown. "However, I do know about your older brother: Mangetsu Hozuki. He had quite the reputation as a swordsman. Not to mention the gruesome missions he partook in" she then recalled about what she knew.

"Ya know, I also partook in some of those missions. But as always, Mangetsu would always get most of the praise while I was labeled a dumbass and a hothead. Practically, I was stuck in his shadow" Suigetsu began recalling back to his earlier days in the Mist Village.

The Mizukage smirked at him. "Well, that explains why Mangetsu was inducted into the Seven Swordsmen while you were not" she noted, causing Suigetsu to twitch in anger.

"Hey! I wasn't that much of a dumbass! I sometimes got praised too despite all the problems I got into!" he snapped at her, much to Mei's amusement.

But the two Mist ninjas soon got a new challenge in the form of Nagisa Sorui. The blonde-haired man with his trident-like sword pointed his weapon at them both, smirking as electricity sparkled on Narumi.

"Tch, speaking of problems! Looks like we have a new pest nagging upon us!" Suigetsu groaned with what he was seeing.

Nagisa was feeling so sanctimonious. "I couldn't help but to overhear you talk about the missions we used to do together, Suigetsu. Oh, all the memories. They're overwhelming, really" he teasingly told the white-haired swordsman.

Suigetsu gritted his teeth in irritation. "Sorry, but those memories are all dead to me!" he hit back.

"Why bother confronting us!? Are you blind to what is happening on this island!?" Mei demanded some answers from Nagisa. "Kenrojin seeks nothing but to exterminate all life on this world, including the seas. You think he will keep his promise to you!?" the Mizukage could not fathom how Nagisa still wanted to confront them.

A frown crept on the blonde-haired man's face when hearing this. "Tch, you guys give that dragon too much credit for being a great threat! He's not that big! And for the record, the seas will be mine to master! They will never die as long as I wield Narumi!" he spoke up, still boasting so high of himself.

While Suigetsu was annoyed by hearing him, Mei could actually see something with Nagisa that probably nobody else had. What was that? The Mizukage decided to let him know.

"Try hide it as much as you want, Nagisa Sorui. It's no use. We all know that beneath your sanctimony lies despair. A despair that you would prefer being left behind" Mei revealed to him with all her seriousness.

Surprisingly, Nagisa felt his entire body shiver. His fiery, orange eyes widened, recalling something traumatic that happened to him in the past. Suigetsu was stunned, as he couldn't believe how the Mizukage's words had managed to shake Nagisa. He had never done that when Suigetsu tried getting under his skin.

But that expression of fear soon changed into that of resentment and rage. Without even thinking, Nagisa jumped from the pile of rocks he was standing on, preparing to stab the Mizukage from above.

"SHUT UUUUUUUUP!" Nagisa yelled, yet Mei managed to avoid getting pierced. This resulted in him stabbing the volcanic ground. Still, Nagisa held onto his weapon, sighing as he tried to regain his composure. He was facing the spot Narumi was stuck in. "Don't you ever dare speak as if you have been there…...you know nothing…nothing about what it's like to dwell in the Underworld!" he cried, his voice slightly showing hints of sadness.

Suigetsu was in complete disbelief. "What the hell…...how did Nagisa suddenly become so…mentally unstable?" the swordsman wondered, given that he had never seen Nagisa act this way before.

For some reason, Mei was glancing at the blonde-haired man with a sympathetic look. "You are correct to say that I know nothing. But it still doesn't give you any right to commit these crimes against humanity" she told him, yet she wanted to know more about the man before her. "Tell me, Nagisa Sorui. How were you brought back to life? What kind of forbidden jutsu was performed in order to bring you out from the Underworld. You do realize that being brought back from that place means that you are…." Mei was interrupted by the angry voice of Nagisa.

"OF COURSE, I'M DEAD! BUT WHY DO I NEED LIFE WHEN I HAVE THE SEAS! THE WATER IS MY LIFE!" Nagisa yelled, his trident starting to sparkle with electricity. But not only that, water began surrounding the swordsman. "I will not let myself get deceived by a naïve woman such as you! I already know who I am and what my destiny is!" he told the Mizukage in defiance.

At this rate, Mei realized that there was no hope in reasoning with Nagisa. She turned to Suigetsu. "I hope you're ready for this. He may have been holding back his powers up until now" she informed him.

Suigetsu drew his sword, facing the man he had once known since childhood. For some reason, pity began coming into his thoughts. Was he slowly starting to take pity upon Nagisa? He couldn't tell.

"I sure as hell am ready. But if I have to go down like Mangetsu did…..then I'm prepared for it" Suigetsu told her, even forming a cunning grin in getting ready for this battle.

The Mizukage smirked in seeing this and returned her focus on Nagisa. "You leave us no choice then! Whatever your resurrection has done, it has washed away your humanity. Therefore, we will put you to peace for all eternity. That is all we can do for you" Mei told the blonde swordsman.

Feeling angry with hearing those words, Nagisa used his sword to make a wave with the water that was surrounding him. He then rode it as it was heading towards Mei and Suigetsu. Rage had completely consumed him.

"YOU MISERABLE BITCH!" he roared at the Mizukage. Slowly but steadily, he was thinking back on his life, as well as the pain he had been through. It was not something he was proud to be doing, given that it was traumatizing him.

* * *

 _Flashback, many years ago, the Village Hidden in the Mist, Land of Water_

Nagisa Sorui was born into the Sorui clan in the Village Hidden in the Mist. The clan was one of the key instruments of the village's formation. The First Mizukage himself was a member of that clan, Byakuren Sorui. There were many rumors and legends that existed around the Soruis. Some say they had their origins in the depths of the sea itself. Others say that they had the power to draw all the ocean's wildlife to do their bidding. In other words, they were masters of the ocean.

The Hidden Mist Village had been founded by shinobis that were in constant conflict between one another. The Land of Water had always been an uneasy corner in the world. Yet thanks to Byakuren's stern leadership and determination, the village managed to attract those wishing to live without shedding blood.

The Sorui clan had a famous heirloom: Narumi. It is said that this trident-like sword was bestowed to the Soruis by the gods of the ocean themselves, but those were nothing but legends. Even though they would fade into importance after Byakuren's death, the Soruis still held their reputation as shinobis well-known.

In the Mist Village, Nagisa grew up with the Hozuki-brothers: Mangetsu and Suigetsu. While they were all just boys, the trio dreamt about becoming members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Together, they trained their bodies to become the perfect warriors, as well as partaking in gruesome missions in order to be inducted into the group. Mangetsu and Nagisa proved to be promising, while Suigetsu was deemed too impulsive.

But one day, Suigetsu was stunned to see that Nagisa was carrying a sword that was different from those of the other swordsmen carried. He was carrying Narumi, his clan's heirloom. With it, he could control the ocean, as well as master the abilities of the First Mizukage. While accepting of Nagisa at first, the other swordsman started to become increasingly wary of him.

They were not alone, even the Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi was growing paranoid over Nagisa becoming powerful enough to overthrow him. Overthrowing the Mizukage was something the swordsmen didn't have in mind. But Nagisa did. Therefore, it was decided that Nagisa had to be assassinated before he could become a greater threat.

Employing Mangetsu and Nagisa on the same mission, the swordsmen were ordered to search an island for any activity from the violent and barbarous Kaguya clan. In reality, this mission was all a hoax. It was Mangetsu's mission to assassinate him.

But as humble and good-natured as he was, Mangetsu couldn't bring himself to simply assassinate his childhood friend. Instead, he challenged Nagisa to a duel. Unfortunately for him, Nagisa had already gained knowledge of what Mangetsu's orders were. As they stood in the snowy region, the blonde-haired man brandished his weapon.

"You thought you could fool me with this act!? Well think again, Mangetsu! I already know what those bastards ordered you!" Nagisa snapped at him. "Now, which of them wants me the dead most? Is it that fish-faced freak Kisame!?" he then demanded some answers. Nagisa and Kisame never got along during their time as swordsmen, considering that Nagisa resented the Hoshigake clan, calling them a pond of inbred halfwits. Kisame in return, considered Nagisa to be nothing but a spoiled and entitled brat.

Despite hearing the accusation, Mangetsu faced his best friend with eyes of reluctance. "I'm sorry, Nagisa. But my orders are absolute. You will one day become a threat to all of us in the Mist Village" the purple-eyed man told him while holding up his blade: Hiramekarei. "For the sake of peace, I must end you" he told him.

"Tch, sake of peace my ass! Our superiors don't give a crap about that!" Nagisa hit back, his Narumi sparkling with electricity. "But enough fooling around! There can only be one of us walking off this island alive! And that will be me!" he yelled as he charged towards his opponent.

Mangetsu did the same thing and the clash of the swordsmen was on. It was a deadly battle, with blood and guts spilled on the snow, turning it red. But in the end, Mangetsu managed to prevail against Nagisa, his sword piercing through his opponent's body. During that time, he was considered to be one of the best swordsmen in the group, and Nagisa still hadn't been able to master Narumi completely.

Pulling out his blade, Mangetsu watched as Nagisa fell onto the snow, a pool of blood forming underneath him. He was breathing, yet slowly weakening by the minute. Still, Mangetsu felt pity upon having to watch his friend die in cold blood. It was hard for him to do, given that he had known him since they were just young boys.

"I'm sorry, Nagisa. I wish that it didn't have to end this way. But I hope that you will someday forgive me. I have already forgiven you. For all the insults you have thrown at me and Suigetsu. For all the times you have stolen our kills. And for giving me this near-death experience in battle" Mangetsu told those words and turned around to walk away.

Nagisa was filled with hatred towards Mangetsu. Despite being in a critical condition, he still had some strength and Chakra left in his dying body. Using what he had to empower Narumi, Nagisa defied the pain to do the unthinkable.

"You think you've won….." Nagisa lowly said, even chuckling despite having blood coming out from his mouth. "You haven't even…WON A SHIT!" he exclaimed and threw the empowered sword with all his might.

Mangetsu activated his Liquefy Jutsu, but the sword didn't pass through him as he thought it would. Instead, it was piercing him with both lighting and something strange in the sword. The white-haired man coughed up blood and turned around to look immediately pull Narumi out of his body. He then watched his dying friend laugh at him.

"You know the old saying…the one who laughs last…dies last…hehehehehe…this is a…sweet death…for me…." Nagisa uttered out his final words before drifting into death with the pool of blood surrounding him.

After gaining enough energy to stand on his feet, Mangetsu walked over to the corpse of his best friend. While it tempted him to step it repeatedly, Mangetsu wouldn't do it. Instead, he threw both Nagisa and his weapon into the frozen sea, hoping that he would be consumed by the sharks or other predators of the ocean. When he was finished with his friend, Mangetsu still felt the pain Nagisa had done on him. He desperately hid his serious wounds, hoping that none of his fellow swordsmen would gain knowledge about what happened in their duel. But little did Mangetsu know that this wound and strange stuff Narumi was filled with would be the end of him.

What Nagisa had used as a last resort to end Mangetsu was actually venom. As soon as it spread throughout his body, the white-haired swordsman died, much to the sorrow of Suigetsu. At first, he and the other swordsmen began assuming that he had died due to an illness. But that was never the case. Mangetsu had died due to being infected with venom from Narumi. But Suigetsu would never find that out.

As for Nagisa, his soul was not sent to the Afterworld. Rather, he came to the realm of the unforgiven: the Underworld. Spending time in the eternal pits of darkness, Nagisa witnessed nothing but horrors and nightmares in seeing the Underworld. But at the same time, being stuck there also changed the swordsman. His personality became twisted and he craved nothing but hatred and destruction.

Then came the time when he was brought back to life. While he was on the verge of being chased by beasts from the shadows, Nagisa closed his eyes and prayed that they would go away. But suddenly, his entire world began changing. A bright light appeared before him.

It didn't take long for Nagisa to realize that he was lying on a boat, but which? This was not the Underworld. Rather, someone stood above him, a mysterious man with a golden opera mask. In seeing Nagisa slowly opening his eyes, the man grinned with satisfaction. That man was none other than the Golden Dragon himself. What was he doing with Nagisa's body.

"Where…..where am I?" he weakly asked.

The Golden Dragon chuckled deeply in seeing this. "Welcome back, Nagisa Sorui. You have been brought back by the orders of the almighty Hirohito himself. He sent me, this prophet, to retrieve you. Now, you owe us your service and loyalty" those were the first words the mysterious man had for the newly-resurrected Nagisa.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Authors' note: A magnificent chapter is completed! I did tell you that this would be a flashback chapter, didn't I? Well then, as you may wonder, who joined first: Nagisa or Hiruko? Well, Nagisa joined the Dragon Creed long before Hiruko did. Then again, I haven't even begun going into the history of this order. But in time, I will. My motive for writing about their pasts was to demonstrate why Hiruko and Nagisa beats resentment towards Killer B and Suigetsu, respectively. The next chapter will take us back to the ongoing struggle. We will see what Saizo truly wants to do in this fight. As for the Underworld, I may want to write more about it someday. Until then, all of you can imagine what the place is really like. Until we meet again, take care, everyone!**


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